The National Football League (NFL), despite its continued dominance in the television landscape, experienced a noticeable dip in viewership across the 2024 season, encompassing both the regular season and the playoffs leading up to Super Bowl LIX. While still commanding top rankings and robust advertiser interest, the league saw a year-over-year decline in audience numbers, raising questions about the potential impact of various factors, including a contentious presidential election. The upcoming Super Bowl, a rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, holds the promise of potentially breaking viewership records, fueled by the Chiefs’ pursuit of a historic “threepeat” and the star power of players like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
The playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl witnessed a consistent trend of declining viewership. Eight out of the twelve postseason games registered lower audience numbers compared to the previous year, with the decline spanning all three rounds: Wild Card Weekend, Divisional Round, and Conference Championships. The Conference Championship games, traditionally the second and third most-watched programs of the year after the Super Bowl, also reflected this downward trend. While the AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills achieved record viewership since 1988, thanks to a close, exciting contest and a later start time, the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders suffered a significant drop due to a lopsided score and an earlier broadcast slot. Overall, the combined viewership for the Conference Championships fell short of the previous year’s mark.
The Divisional Round games similarly experienced an overall decline in viewership, registering the lowest average audience in four years. Though the Kansas City Chiefs versus Houston Texans game on ESPN/ABC achieved record-breaking numbers for the network, the other three games saw decreased viewership compared to their 2023 counterparts. This decline was particularly pronounced in the Sunday night game between the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens on CBS/Paramount+, despite the game’s compelling close finish. The Wild Card Weekend, the opening round of the playoffs, also witnessed an overall dip in viewership, with five out of the six games experiencing year-over-year declines. While the Houston Texans versus Los Angeles Chargers game and the Buffalo Bills versus Denver Broncos game saw modest increases, the remaining games, including the primetime matchup on Amazon Prime Video, registered lower numbers.
The regular season mirrored the playoff trend, with a slight but notable decline in average viewership across all networks. Sportico reported a 2.2% drop in average viewers for the 2024 regular season compared to 2023, potentially mitigated by the distraction of a highly contested presidential election. Despite this overall decline, there were some notable winners and losers in the broadcast landscape. Amazon Prime Video enjoyed a significant increase in viewership for its Thursday Night Football package, while Disney’s ESPN experienced the largest drop-off for Monday Night Football. NBC’s Sunday Night Football continued its reign as the top-rated primetime show, achieving its highest viewership since 2015.
A more nuanced look at the regular season reveals a shift in the traditional dominance of late afternoon Sunday games. While both Fox and CBS experienced slight declines in overall viewership for their Sunday afternoon broadcasts, CBS, bolstered by a strong showing of Kansas City Chiefs games, surpassed Fox in average viewership for the late afternoon slot for the first time in 13 years. This shift highlights the influence of specific teams and matchups on viewership, with the Chiefs’ popularity contributing to CBS’s success. The continued strong performance of late afternoon Sunday games underscores their enduring appeal, outperforming primetime games across all networks.
The NFL’s 2024 season presents a complex picture of viewership trends. While the overall decline in audience numbers raises concerns, the league’s continued dominance in the television landscape, coupled with strong advertiser support, suggests a resilient product. The success of specific platforms like Amazon Prime Video and the enduring popularity of certain teams like the Kansas City Chiefs highlight the evolving dynamics of sports viewership. The upcoming Super Bowl LIX, a highly anticipated rematch, offers a crucial opportunity for the NFL to recapture audience momentum and potentially set new viewership records. The performance of the Super Bowl will likely serve as a key indicator of the league’s future trajectory and its ability to adapt to the changing media landscape.
