Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs Help Shatter NFL Viewership Record on Thanksgiving Day

Football fans across the country were glued to their TVs before and after stuffing themselves with turkey and pie on Thanksgiving.

According to Nielsen data released by the NFL, Thanksgiving Day 2025 ranked as the highest Thanksgiving Day viewership average on record, which dates back to 1988. Three games were played on Thursday, November 27, with an average of 44.7 million fans tuning in to each one.

2024 held the previous average with 34.5 million average viewers, a staggering 10 million fewer viewers than this year’s matchups.

The the Kansas City Chiefs — which includes players Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes — took on the Dallas Cowboys for the second of the three games. The 28-31 showdown became the most-watched NFL regular-season game on record with 57.2 million viewers.

“Thanksgiving and NFL football have become synonymous,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said following the successful Turkey Day. “We are grateful to our teams and broadcast partners for these incredible games, and honored to be a part of so many families’ holiday traditions.”

In addition to the Chiefs-Cowboys game, the Green Bay Packers took down the Detroit Lions 31-24 in the morning, followed by the Cincinnati Bengals upsetting the Baltimore Ravens 32-14 in the evening.