NBC viewership down 13 percent for season kickoff
The NFL was back on television sets Thursday night but not as many of the fans were watching.
According to Nielsen, the season kickoff game on NBC between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs drew 13 percent fewer viewers than the 2019 opener between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.
An estimated 19.3 million fans tuned in to see the Texans-Chiefs broadcast, while the Packers-Bears contest attracted 22.2 million viewers last season.
The size of the drop is surprising due to the lack of sports to watch during the coronavirus pandemic. Many sports fans have been waiting for the football season to arrive after other leagues had seasons interrupted by the virus.
NBC said live streaming boosted the total number of viewers to 20.3 million.
Other sports in action on Thursday night included the NBA and NHL playoffs as well as a slate of Major League Baseball games. Also, Victoria Azarenka posted an upset of Serena Williams in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.
–Field Level Media
