TL;DR
- The 2022 Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants Thanksgiving game is the most-watched ever.
- Dallas Cowboys games dominate the top Thanksgiving viewership rankings, appearing 13 times in the top 15.
- Thanksgiving games attract massive audiences due to tradition, holiday gatherings, and football's widespread appeal.
- The 2022 Giants vs. Cowboys Thanksgiving game holds the record for the most-watched regular season NFL contest.
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.
The NFL has permanently added games on Christmas and Black Friday, but Thanksgiving remains a deeply traditional day for the league, and significant alterations to the holiday's schedule are unlikely in the foreseeable future.
A comprehensive review of the NFL's most-watched Thanksgiving Day matchups reveals that several Dallas Cowboys games stand out at the top.
MORE: Highest-scoring NFL Thanksgiving games
Most-watched NFL Thanksgiving game ever?
The 2022 contest featuring the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at&T Stadium drew an average of 42.06 million viewers, setting a record for the most-watched Thanksgiving game in NFL history.
The matchup united two significant media territories and enormous fan followings, with The Cowboys boasting supporters across north Texas and the nation, and New York's reach extending broadly too. The NFL experienced good fortune in 2022, as a Giants squad that wasn't anticipated to perform strongly entered the holiday period with a 7-3 record, essentially tied with Dallas for the lead in the NFC East.
Entering as considerable underdogs, the Giants managed to stay in contention, holding a 13-7 advantage at the break. However, the Cowboys responded with three touchdowns, establishing a significant 15-point lead midway through the final quarter. Although a New York touchdown in the final seconds narrowed the gap to a single possession, it proved insufficient for Brian Daboll's squad at that stage.
Following that stretch, the Giants' record became 2-3-1, and the Cowboys secured the division title. Both New York and Dallas were eliminated in the divisional round.
MORE: Which team has the most Thanksgiving wins in NFL history?
The NFL games on Thanksgiving that garnered the most viewers
The Dallas Cowboys have been a part of the five most-viewed Thanksgiving NFL contests ever. Below are the top 15 NFL Thanksgiving matchups by viewership.
| Year | Matchup | TV channel | Viewers |
| 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 appear in 13 of the top 15 Thanksgiving Day viewership figures. Beyond their enormous following, a key factor is their consistent placement in the prime slot for NFL Thanksgiving contests, airing at 4:30 p.m. ET, a time when many households nationwide are typically gathering for or have just finished their holiday meal.
The initial contest, which invariably features the Detroit Lions, kicks off at an hour that means many on the west coast and throughout the U.S. Are still in the midst of their Thanksgiving preparations, yet the game has attracted a larger audience lately, coinciding with The Lions' improved performance.
Both 2023 and 2024 established a new record for early window viewership, as 33.7 individuals observed the Green Bay Packers' victory over the Lions in 2023, and 37.5 tuned in for the Bears's close contest against Detroit in 2023.
MORE: How John Madden started NFL's Turkey Leg tradition
What makes Thanksgiving football games draw such huge viewership numbers?
The NFL effectively owns Sundays in America. Is it any surprise the league owns Thanksgiving, too?
While the NFL is a draw any day, the league's enduring tradition of Thanksgiving games, coupled with the holiday's built-in audience, makes it more successful on "Turkey Day" than any other regular-season date.
Thanksgiving is predominantly an indoor occasion. For the majority of families who convene and dine, a television is typically present, and football's widespread appeal makes it a simple method for families to connect. Considering popular halftime entertainers who resonate with those not typically interested in sports, combined with the lethargy that follows a substantial meal, rendering everyone disinclined to move, you end up with a substantial, engaged viewership.
MORE: Which teams always play on Thanksgiving?
Which NFL game has garnered the highest viewership ever?
- Super Bowl: Super Bowl 59 (127.7 million)
- Playoffs (non-Super Bowl): Vikings vs. Saints, 2009 (57.9 million)
While the NFL's most-watched regular season game was the 2022 Thanksgiving contest featuring the Giants and Cowboys, it doesn't come close to the viewership numbers that Super Bowls achieve.
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.
The 2009 NFC championship game featuring the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints remains the most-watched non-Super Bowl playoff contest with 57.9 million viewers. However, the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills nearly broke this record in the 2024 AFC championship game, drawing 57.4 million viewers.
MORE: How John Madden popularized the turducken on NFL broadcasts
Most-watched regular season game ever?
The 2022 Thanksgiving game featuring the Giants and Cowboys drew the largest audience for a regular season NFL contest ever, with 42.06 million tuning in.
That contest just barely surpassed a "Monday Night Football" game featuring the Giants and San Francisco 49ers in 1990, drawing an estimated 41.55 million viewers when both teams had a 10-1 record.