The NFL averaged 20.2 million viewers per regular-season game through the first four weeks of 2026, a 4% increase from the comparable period last year, MediaPost reported October 9, citing Nielsen measurements.
NBC’s Sunday Night Football led the reported broadcast packages with a 23.2 million average. CBS’ Sunday games averaged 20.5 million, followed by ABC and ESPN’s Monday Night Football at 19.3 million.
FOX’s Sunday afternoon coverage averaged 17.9 million viewers, while Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football average was 17.4 million at that cutoff.
The gains varied by broadcaster. MediaPost reported CBS up 7% and Prime Video up 9%, while NBC was down 2% compared with the same period in 2025.
National television advertising revenue for NFL coverage was estimated at $1.6 billion through the first four weeks, up 7%, according to iSpot figures cited by MediaPost. The estimate covered 21,572 commercial airings, compared with 18,015 a year earlier.
The audience averages cover September 9 through October 7, before the Week 5 games, including the later Buccaneers–Cowboys Thursday Night Football broadcast.
Photograph: Michael Holley / Wikimedia Commons. Public domain. Display crop.
