The Dallas Cowboys’ game against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving featured a 4-7 team with its backup quarterback facing a 2-9 team on its third-string quarterback. As usual, NFL fans couldn’t get enough.
The second of three Thanksgiving games on Thursday drew an average of 38.5 million viewers, according to Fox Sports, making it the most-watched NFL game on any network this regular season. Viewership reportedly peaked at 41.3 million viewers during the second quarter.
Ratings for the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins-Green Bay Packers games have not been announced yet.
Pass the turducken! 🦃
The @DallasCowboys Thanksgiving victory on FOX earned 38.5 million viewers and projects to rank as the most-watched NFL telecast this regular season on any network.
The game peaked at 41.3 million viewers from 6:00-6:15 PM ET. pic.twitter.com/7Uce1TVONP
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) November 29, 2024
Those numbers continue the simple rule of sports media: while other leagues do their best to resist the ratings erosion that has affected the rest of the television industry, the NFL just keeps watching its numbers go up.
The millions who tuned in didn’t exactly get the NFL’s best. The Cowboys were still starting Cooper Rush at quarterback with Dak Prescott hurt, while the Giants had Drew Lock after the release of Daniel Jones and an injury to Tommy DeVito.
New York briefly took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, but Dallas was up 27-10 by the end of the third. Both teams averaged fewer than five yards per play and fumbled twice, with 156 combined yards in penalties. The Cowboys were less bad, resulting in a 27-20 win to push their record to 5-7.