NFL: Record TV ratings for NFL kickoff
NFL underscored its status as the television ratings titan of US professional sport last weekend
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The NFL underscored its status as the television ratings titan of US professional sport last weekend after a record-breaking number of viewers tuned in for the start of the new season, a statement said Thursday.
Lurid controversies that have dogged the sport over the past 18 months have done nothing to dim the sport s appeal to armchair fans, with an average of 19.9 million viewers tuning in for games.
The number outstripped the previous highest average viewing figures for an opening weekend of 19.6 million, set at the start of the 2013 season.
Last Thursday s opening match between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers was the highest rated game of the week, and only narrowly missed out on becoming the most-watched season opener ever, with an average of 27.4 million viewers tuning in.
Sunday night s game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys was the second-most popular game of the week, with an average 26.8 million viewers.
Overall, three NFL kickoff weekend games were ranked in the top 10 of the most-watched telecasts among all programs broadcast since Super Bowl Sunday, including the Oscars and Presidential Debates.
Polls regularly show that American football is the most popular sport in the United States, a factor that has pushed revenue from television deals to record levels, with the NFL generating an estimated $7.3 billion last season alone.
