NFL international games dampens viewership numbers as game broadcasts average 17,300,000 viewers: Report

The NFL announced the viewership numbers through the first 10 weeks of the 2024 season. As per Front Office Sports, the broadcasts are averaging 17.3 million viewers, the highest number recorded during that span since 2015.

The viewership number, though, isn't accurate as some games are broadcast only on streaming platforms. For instance, on October 21, 2024, the Los Angeles Chargers faced off against the Arizona Cardinals as part of the second game on "Monday Night Football." The game was only aired on ESPN+ and averaged just 1.8 million viewers.

The NFL's viewership numbers also don't include the international games that have taken place in Brazil, England and Germany. The Week 1 matchup in Brazil between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles was only aired on Peacock and averaged 14.2 million viewers.

If the games that aired exclusively on streaming platforms were included in the league's viewership numbers, then the average would likely be lower. Which would then indicate that the league's viewership could be down this season.

NFL's Thursday night Amazon Prime games have seen an increase in viewers

While other streaming services have struggled to gain NFL fans' viewership, Amazon Prime Video apparently is doing better. Thursday night games have averaged 13.08 million viewers per game, up 7% compared to the 2023 National Football League season.

According to ProFootball Talk, the Thursday primetime games are averaging better than the Monday Night Football games aired on ESPN each week. For instance, the Week 10 Monday night game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins averaged 12.2 million viewers.

While Amazon Prime Video's numbers are higher than last season, the numbers are still lower than when the Thursday primetime games were aired on cable networks.

Up until 2022, when Amazon Prime Video took over the time slot, the games took turns between NBC and FOX Sports and averaged about 16 million viewers per game.

In Week 11, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Washington Commanders on Thursday night in primetime. The battle between the top two NFC East teams will be monumental in the race for the division title as the season has surpassed the halfway mark.

Amazon Prime Video is also home to the "Black Friday" game, the only platform to offer the game the day after Thanksgiving.