NFL Kickoff posts worst viewership since 2022

The NFL's 2026 Wednesday opener ended up being a bit of a disappointment, both in terms of quality of play and viewership.

Wednesday's New England Patriots-Seattle Seahawks opener averaged 25.1 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. That is the worst audience for an opener since 2022 and down 12% from the Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles game on Thursday, which opened the 2025 season (28.3 million).