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Ravens-Cowboys sets NFL record for international game ratings

By Thomson Reuters Sep 30, 2026 | 5:32 PM

By Field Level Media

Sep 30 (Field Level Media) – The Baltimore Ravens earned a dramatic victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, ​which also became a big win for CBS Sports.

The ‌network said the Ravens’ 34-31 win, secured on a 56-yard field goal as time expired, averaged 24.9 million viewers to make it the most-watched NFL international game dating back to the late 1980s, ‌Front ​Office Sports reported on Wednesday.

The Brazil ⁠game also had the ⁠highest viewership for a Week 3 contest on CBS since 2014, per the report.

While games played in Europe or Australia, for example, have less schedule flexibility because of ​vast differences from time zones in the United States, Brazil is only one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern ⁠time.

The Ravens and “host” Cowboys played in ⁠the national late Sunday afternoon window, while ​other international games typically have been played in early morning ​or primetime slots in the United States.

CBS averaged 19 ‌million viewers for its NFL games in the first three weeks, up 6% from a comparable span in 2025, per the report.

Amazon Prime Video also got a boost from ⁠its “Thursday Night Football” game between the Green Bay Packers and triumphant underdog Atlanta Falcons — attracting an average of 16.8 million viewers ⁠that marked a ‌2% increase from the comparable game last ⁠season.

Fox Sports’ early Sunday afternoon coverage averaged ​17.9 ‌million viewers, an 11% increase from a ​comparable window ⁠in 2025.

NBC Sports’ coverage of the “Sunday Night Football” contest between the Los Angeles Rams and victorious Denver Broncos averaged 20.8 million viewers, an 18% decrease from the Week 3 game in 2025 between the New York Giants and Kansas City ​Chiefs.

(–Field Level Media)