Turkey, Touchdowns, & Records: NFL Thanksgiving 2024 Sets New Viewership Highs
Record-Breaking Thanksgiving: NFL Sets New Viewership Highs in 2024
This year, the NFL gave the audience a great slate of NFL games that made new records in terms of viewership. Although we did not know what to expect, the three Thanksgiving games turned out to be competitive, thus making fans tune in in large numbers to watch the NFC North and NFC East divisional games and the inter-conference match between the Dolphins and Packers. Read more turkey, touchdowns, & records: NFL Thanksgiving 2024 sets new viewership highs.
The NFL’s Thanksgiving Day games drew 34. 2 million viewers on average, the highest since 1988. Additionally, there was a boost in 1 viewership million with viewers an average of a minute, a 36% increase 1. from last year’s viewership, making it a new record for Thanksgiving Day streaming.
Game Breakdown
Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions
The day began with an NFC North interdivisional slugfest between the Detroit Lions, and the Chicago Bears. The Lions’ offense was stellar, led by their quarterback and Jared Goff, who finished with 21-for-34 passing for 221 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 100.2 rating. Running back goliaths Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery bulldozed their way to 144 first-half rushing yards, racking up a combined 175 by game’s end.
In the loss to the Lions, the Bears had a spark with Caleb Williams. Williams was 20 of 39 passes for 256 yards with three TDs, no interceptions and a 97.8 passer rating. The Bears’ focus in the off-season will be the search for a new head coach, which is very important for this young and skilled team. The NFC North has the potential to become one of the most interesting divisions in the NFL as more and more teams and young players aim at the top spot. This game got 37. 5 million viewers and thus became the most-watched early Thanksgiving Day game on record and 11% better than last year’s Packers-Lions match.
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants
In the afternoon, two major NFC East rivals faced off against each other when the New York Giants faced off against the Dallas Cowboys. Although the game had no significance in the playoffs, the Cowboys won narrowly 27-20. But more importantly both teams will have a lot of questions to answer this off season.
The Giants, who were mathematically knocked out of the playoff race, part ways with their $160 million quarterback, Daniel Jones, and may start fresh with a new quarterbacking prospect picked in the draft. Meanwhile, the Cowboys, who lost their star quarterback Dak Prescott for the remainder of the season through a hamstring injury, still managed to get a win, but there are concerns regarding the salary cap.
Some of the big-name players on the team include CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, who are set to have their contract discussions shortly, which means that Dallas has a lot to consider. This FOX broadcast drew 38. 8 million viewers, making it the fourth most-watched Thanksgiving Day game in history and the fifth most-watched regular-season NFL game.
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Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers
The Thanksgiving finale was a cold weather test for the Miami Dolphins, who’ve faced constant criticism for their play in chilly weather. The Dolphins traveled to Lambeau Field to meet the Green Bay Packers. The Packers won by a score of 30-17, thus ending the critics who said the Dolphins would not be able to play in the cold.
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa put on a show, throwing for 365 yards and two touchdowns, which was an excellent performance for him. Jordan Love put his aerial assault, throwing for 274 yards, in a good position to make a strong push for the AFC Wild Card spot, while Green Bay has an arduous task cut out for them against Detroit in the next game, and they will have to fight hard to stay in the race for the NFC.
Tis’ The Season for MORE FOOTBALL
The NFL has not stopped offering fans more during the holiday season. Two big games are scheduled to be played on Christmas Day as well. First, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens take on the Houston Texans. Jackson is still in the MVP race with the Baltimore Ravens, and there is a buzz with Beyonce performing during the halftime show, which makes this game all the more exciting to watch.
The other game is between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are always a tough team to beat, while Russell Wilson of the Steelers is making a comeback together with his improved deep passes, which has made this game more interesting. Both games are anticipated to pull in record-breaking viewership with the chances of beating more streaming records.
