NFL on CBS Hit Viewing Records on Thanksgiving Weekend

Dallas Cowboys versus Washington Commanders
(Image credit: Dallas Cowboys)

CBS Sports is reporting massive audiences on Thanksgiving weekend as its NFL on CBS Week 12 coverage totaled nearly 90 million viewers in combined average viewership (88.953 million).

The network also reported that Commanders-Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day was the second-most watched regular season game in NFL history.

Dallas’ 45-10 win over Washington averaged 41.760 million viewers, making it the most-watched program on any network since Super Bowl LVII and the second-most watched regular season game in NFL history. 

Led by the Eagles’ 37-34 overtime victory over Buffalo, CBS Sports scored its most-watched National Game Window in 16 years (Patriots at Colts, 11/4/07, 33.819 million), averaging 30.901 million viewers and up +32% vs. last year’s comparable window.

The regional game window, led by Steelers-Bengals as the high-coverage game, averaged 16.292 million viewers, up +19% vs. last year’s comparable window, CBS said. 

It was CBS Sports’ most-watched Regional Game in November since 2016. In Week 12, Paramount+ delivered triple-digit year-over-year growth in minutes and double-digit increases in households and average minute audience (AMA), the network said. 

Those numbers also helped boost CBS Sports to its most-watched NFL season since 1998, averaging 19.670 million viewers through Week 12, up +7% vs. last year.

The NFL ON CBS National Game Window at 4:25 PM, ET is averaging 24.691 million viewers this season, more than any sports, entertainment or news series on any network, CBS claimed. 

In addition, Paramount+ has seen its most-streamed NFL season ever and has recorded double-digit year-over-year growth in all 12 weeks, CBS said.

George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.