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NFL season opener ratings down 11% for Patriots-Seahawks

By Thomson Reuters Sep 14, 2026 | 2:00 PM

By Field Level Media

Sep 14 (Field Level Media) – The NFL’s decision to move ​its first game of ‌the regular season up a day to Wednesday did not seem to pay off in ‌terms ​of television ratings.

Wednesday’s ⁠Week 1 Super ⁠Bowl rematch between the defending-champion Seattle Seahawks and visiting New England Patriots drew 25.1 ​million viewers on NBC and Peacock.

The television ratings ⁠were down ⁠11% from last year’s ​opening game between the Dallas ​Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, which ‌was played on a Thursday night and delayed over an hour due to inclement ⁠weather. That Cowboys-Eagles game was the least-viewed opening game of an ⁠NFL ‌season since 2022.

The viewership ⁠numbers in the ​18-49 ‌age range were strong. ​This year’s ⁠Patriots-Seahawks game was the most-viewed in that age group for an NFL opener since 2021, according to NBC.

(–Field ​Level Media)