NFL’s ‘Biggest Season Ever’ Brings Big Returns For League, Network Partners

By Barry Janoff

January 12, 2022: Coming off its self-described “biggest season ever” with 17 regular season games, the NFL has shared big results regarding its TV and digital coverage.

According to the league, the 2021 NFL regular season averaged 17.1 million viewers (TV + Digital), the highest regular season average since 2015 and up +10% vs. 2020.

During the 2021 NFL regular season, NFL games ranked as the Top 16, 48 of the Top 50 and 91 of the Top 100 telecasts on TV.

Throughout the season, there were 370 billion total minutes consumed, up +18% vs. 2020, and the second-highest total on record behind only 2015, according to the NFL.

"This year's schedule, highlighted by an enhanced regular season featuring 17 games, gave our broadcast partners the ability to provide fans with more football and incredible match-ups than ever,” Hans Schroeder, evp and COO, NFL Media, said via the league.

“We look forward to a strong finish with the upcoming post-season and Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles."

During the 2021 NFL regular season, there were 34 games decided by a game-winning score on the final play — the most in a single season all-time.

In addition, 49 games were decided by a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation or overtime — tied for the most in a single season all-time.

And 175 games — 64% of all games — were within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter – tied for the fourth-most all-time, according to the NFL.

CBS Sports said its NFL coverage this season averaged 18.034 million viewers, the network’s most-watched regular season in six years.

The NFL On CBS averaged 21.588 million viewers for its ten national Sunday game windows, which is more than any prime time television sports, entertainment or news series on any network this season, according to CBS.

Paramount+ delivered its most-streamed NFL regular season ever with double-digit growth across total streams, streaming minutes and unique viewers.

CBS Sports’ NFL coverage recorded three of the top four television programs in the 2021 calendar year with Super Bowl LV (No. 1 with 92.509 million viewers), AFC Championship (No. 3 with 42.336 million viewers) and Las Vegas Raiders-Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving (No. 4 with 40.802 million viewers).

NBC Sports, which will air Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, concluded its 16th season of Sunday Night Football, topping all prime time television series in the fall and finishing as prime time’s No. 1 TV show in all key metrics for an on-going record 11th consecutive year.

“From our down-to-the-wire NFL Kickoff game in Tampa to Tom Brady’s return to New England to this past Sunday night’s uniquely thrilling season finale, the 2021 Sunday Night Football season was one to remember,” Pete Bevacqua, chairman, NBC Sports, saiid via the network.

“We thank our unparalleled production, technical and announce teams, which are the backbone of our record-setting 11-year run as television’s No. 1 prime time show. We look forward to continuing our momentum through to Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, February 13.”

Fox Sports said that, with an average of 4,463,000 viewers, Fox NFL Sunday had its 28th consecutive season as the No. 1 NFL pre-game show.

For the regular season, Fox NFL averaged 18,572,000 viewers, topping three of the four previous seasons (2020, 2018, 2017).

ESPN said Monday Night Football saw the biggest increase, with the 19-game schedule up 16% over last year, averaging 14.18 million.

ESPN said that is the network's best regular-season viewership since 2010 and third best since 2006, when Monday Night Football moved mainly to cable from ABC.

ESPN’s first NFL Week 18 Monday Night Football: Doubleheader Saturday (Jan. 8) also set viewing records,

The Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs-Denver Broncos become two of the five most-watched Monday Night Football games in the ESPN era (274 games since 2006).

According to the network, both are ESPN’s best regular season NFL audiences in more than a decade.

Monday Night Football: Doubleheader Saturday elevated Monday Night Football regular season viewership to an average of 14,182,000 million viewers a game (19 games), which the network said is the best regular season viewership for ESPN since 2010 and the third best since 2006.

The Cowboys and Eagles generated an audience of 20.3 million viewers on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes.

The Chiefs-Broncos delivered 19.1 million viewers across the same networks, resulting in a Doubleheader Saturday average of 19.7 million viewers.

During the 2021 NFL regular season, there were 34 games decided by a game-winning score on the final play — the most in a single season all-time.

For the Cowboys-Eagles, with an ESPN- and ABC-only audience of 20,200,000 viewers, the NFC East showdown became Monday Night Football’s most-watched regular season game in 12 years (2009 season) and the third most-watched Monday Night Football game in the ESPN era.

For the Chiefs-Broncos, with 19,098,000 viewers on ESPN and ABC, the AFC West match-up was the most-watched all-AFC game in ESPN’s Monday Night Football era and the fifth most-watched game in ESPN’s Monday Night Football era, including the  Cowboys-Eagles game.

The Top Ten most-watched NFL games during the 2021 regular season, via the NFL:

• Las Vegas Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys (Week 12, CBS)  40.8 million

• Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Week 11, Fox) 28.7 million

• Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers (Week 16, Fox + NFLN) 28.6 million

• Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions (Week 12, Fox) 28.2 million

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New England Patriots (Week 4, NBC) 27.2 million

• Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys (Week 17, Fox) 26.8 million

• Los Angeles Rams vs. Green Bay Packers (Week 12, Fox) 25.2 million

• Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Kickoff, NBC) 25.2 million

• Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Week 9, Fox) 25 million

• Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers (Week 2, CBS) 25 million

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