Chiefs-Texans opener was most-watched sporting event since Super Bowl LIV

The return of the NFL didn’t bring the usual high ratings, but there’s context behind the numbers.

While the Chiefs’ 34-20 opening-night win over the Texans wasn’t exactly competitive, that didn’t matter in a ratings sense. And as it turned out, all the social justice initiatives pro football players have engaged in over the offseason, not to mention the pre-game show of unity that was sadly booed by some in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium, really didn’t affect the national opinion of the NFL.

Per NBC Sports, the “Thursday Night Football” opener averaged 19.3 million viewers, which is the most-watched sporting event since Super Bowl LIV, and just the second show of any kind to average more than 20 million viewers per hour since then — the Academy Awards averaged 23.6 million on February 9.

Now, the ratings did represent a 12.3% drop from last year’s Bears-Packers opener, but before you declare a win for the “Get Woke/Go Broke” crowd, it’s also important to note that the data from NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital platforms represented a 55% increase in the amount of viewers who were accessing the game through other means than the NBC broadcast.

Per NBC Sports PR:

The Average Minute Audience (AMA) for last night’s live stream via NBC Sports digital platforms, NFL Digital platforms, Chiefs and Texans mobile properties, and Verizon Media mobile properties was 970,000 viewers – the highest ever for an NBC NFL game, excluding Super Bowls – and up 55% from last year’s NFL Kickoff Game (627,000).

So, the average audience was 19.3 million, but as NBC PR also points out, “NBC’s TV coverage peaked at 22.0 million viewers between 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET, and topped 20 million viewers in every quarter-hour from 8:45 p.m. ET through 9:45 p.m. ET.  The broadcast averaged 19.3 million viewers on NBC.”

So, there are ratings, and there are ratings. If your average right-wing goofball is telling you that nobody is watching the NFL anymore because the players have the temerity to stand up (or kneel) for what they believe in, the numbers tell different stories.

Of course, the NFL is also trying to restart in the midst of a pandemic the likes of which we’ve never seen, and people are just getting around to the idea that there’s going to be actual football in 2020. Factor in the competition of NBA and NFL playoffs, and a 22.0 million peak is still a pretty strong number. Sunday’s slate of games, with the lead dog being Tom Brady’s premiere in a Buccaneers uniform, should bring in the NFL’s usual monster ratings.