JUMP TO:
- What is the most-watched NFL Thanksgiving game ever?
- Most-watched NFL Thanksgiving games
- Why do Thanksgiving games attract massive audiences?
- What is the most-watched NFL game of all time?
- What is the most-watched regular season game of all time?
Football on Thanksgiving is nearly as American as turkey, and the numbers back it up.
The NFL has no bigger regular season stage than Thanksgiving, which annually begins with games in Detroit and Dallas followed by a nightcap elsewhere. Television ratings prove the audience is especially massive during the 4:30 p.m. ET window, which coincides with the Cowboys' annual game.
While the NFL has expanded to Christmas and Black Friday on a permanent basis, Thanksgiving is steeped in tradition for the league — and there is no reason to expect major changes to the Turkey Day slate around the NFL any time soon.
Here's a complete look at the most-watched NFL Thanksgiving games of all time, led by a handful of Cowboys contests.
MORE: Highest-scoring NFL Thanksgiving games
What is the most-watched NFL Thanksgiving game ever?
The 2025 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs at AT&T Stadium drew 57.2 million viewers on CBS, making it the new most-watched Thanksgiving game — or regular-season game — in NFL history, per The Athletic's Richard Deitsch.
The Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers game in 2025 also slotted in as the second-highest viewership ever, as the previous record had been a 2022 matchup between the Cowboys and New York Giants at AT&T Stadium, which averaged 42.06 million viewers.
The Chiefs-Cowboys game combined two of the NFL's biggest television draws at the time into a window that often draws the highest viewership, setting up for the record-breaking number. Not only do the Cowboys and Chiefs often bring national appeal with fans all over the country, even outside of their Texas and Missouri regions, but they boasted two of the most star-studded and dynamic offenses in 2025. Add in the fact that both Dallas and Kansas City entered the matchup needing a win for playoff contention, and it was the perfect viewership storm.
In the game itself, Dallas pulled out a 31-28 victory after taking a 17-14 lead into halftime. Dak Prescott overcame a first-drive interception to lead multiple scoring drives throughout the afternoon, and despite the Chiefs pulling within three points with a late touchdown, the Cowboys held on for the narrow win.
Mahomes' four touchdown passes came up empty as the Chiefs fell to 6-6 on the season, while the Cowboys improved to 6-5-1 in 2025 with a ton of eyes watching around the country.
MORE: Which team has the most Thanksgiving wins in NFL history?
Most-watched NFL Thanksgiving games
Six of the seven most-watched Thanksgiving games in NFL history have featured the Cowboys. Here are the 17 most-watched NFL Thanksgiving games.
| Year | Matchup | TV channel | Viewers |
| 2025 | Cowboys 31, Chiefs 28 | CBS | 57.2M |
| 2025 | Packers 31, Lions 24 | Fox | 47.7M |
| 2022 | Cowboys 28, Giants 20 | Fox | 42.1M |
| 2023 | Cowboys 45, Commanders 10 | CBS | 41.8M |
| 2021 | Raiders 36, Cowboys 33 | CBS | 40.8M |
| 2024 | Cowboys 27, Giants 20 | Fox | 38.8M |
| 1993 | Dolphins 16, Cowboys 14 | NBC | 38.4M |
| 2024 | Lions 23, Bears 20 | CBS | 37.5M |
| 1995 | Cowboys 24, Chiefs 12 | NBC | 35.7M |
| 2016 | Cowboys 31, Redskins 26 | Fox | 35.1M |
| 1992 | Cowboys 30, Giants 3 | CBS | 33.8M |
| 2023 | Packers 29, Lions 22 | Fox | 33.7M |
| 2006 | Cowboys 21, Redskins 10 | Fox | 32.7M |
| 1998 | Vikings 46, Cowboys 36 | Fox | 32.7M |
| 2019 | Bills 26, Cowboys 15 | CBS | 32.6M |
| 2015 | Panthers 33, Cowboys 14 | CBS | 32.5M |
| 2014 | Eagles 33, Cowboys 10 | Fox | 32.0M |
The Cowboys are represented in 14 of the 17 most-watched Thanksgiving games. While their massive fan base is one major reason, they also annually sit in the most ideal window for NFL Thanksgiving games at 4:30 p.m. ET, just about when many families across the country are either settling in for a meal or after a meal.
The early game, which always involves the Detroit Lions, starts early enough that those on the west coast and many others across the U.S. Haven't started their Thanksgiving festivities just yet, but the game has picked up more viewers in recent years with the Lions finding success.
In 2025, the Lions vs. Packers game was slightly moved back to a 1 p.m. ET kickoff, allowing it to become the second-most-watched NFL Thanksgiving game ever with a reported 47.7 million viewers, behind only that year's afternoon matchup between Dallas and Kansas City.
MORE: How John Madden started NFL's Turkey Leg tradition
Why do Thanksgiving games attract massive audiences?
The NFL effectively owns Sundays in America. Is it any surprise the league owns Thanksgiving, too?
The NFL is an attraction any day of the week regardless of which teams are playing, but the combination of a long history of games on Thanksgiving and the captive audience that the holiday presents help the league thrive on Turkey Day more than any other day in the regular season.
Thanksgiving is largely an indoor holiday. For most families who gather and eat, a TV is always nearby, and the sport of football is popular enough that it's an easy way for families to bond. Add in some popular halftime performers who appeal to non-fans, plus the the malaise following heavy meal that doesn't make anyone want to move a muscle, and you have a massive captive audience.
MORE: Which teams always play on Thanksgiving?
What is the most-watched NFL game of all time?
- Super Bowl: Super Bowl 59 (127.7 million)
- Playoffs (non-Super Bowl): Vikings vs. Saints, 2009 (57.9 million)
The NFL's most-watched regular season game is indeed the 2025 Thanksgiving matchup between the Chiefs and Cowboys, but that still pales in comparison to the kind of viewership Super Bowls draw.
13 Super Bowls have averaged more than 100 million viewers in the United States, let alone around the world, with Super Bowl 59 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs holding the record at 127.7 million.
Among non-Super Bowl playoff games, the 2009 NFC championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints still holds a viewership record of 57.9 million, though the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills made a run at the record with 57.4 million viewers in the 2024 AFC championship game.
MORE: How John Madden popularized the turducken on NFL broadcasts
What is the most-watched regular season game of all time?
The Thanksgiving matchup between the Chiefs and Cowboys in 2025 is the most-watched regular season game in NFL history at 57.2 million viewers.
Prior to 2025, the previous record was a 2022 meeting between the Giants and Cowboys on Thanksgiving, which had an estimated 42.1 million viewers. However, the Lions vs. Packers game in 2025 also surpassed the 2022 matchup, bringing in an estimated 47.7 million viewers for the second-most ever in a regular season game.