The National Football League's Thanksgiving Day tradition has smashed its own regular-season viewership record in spectacular fashion, with a blockbuster clash between two of the sport's biggest franchises attracting a colossal audience.
Historic Numbers for Thanksgiving Showdown
Broadcaster CBS announced on Wednesday 3 December 2025 that the game between the visiting Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium drew an average of 57.23 million viewers. This staggering figure obliterates the previous Thanksgiving Day record of 42.1 million viewers, which was set just three years prior in 2022 when Dallas played the New York Giants.
Interest in the game peaked during the crucial final stages, with viewership hitting a remarkable 61.357 million between 7:45 and 8:00 PM Eastern Time. The contest lived up to its billing as a marquee matchup, featuring a thrilling quarterback duel between Dallas's Dak Prescott and Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes.
On-Field Drama and Star Power
On the field, the Dallas Cowboys secured a nail-biting 31-28 victory, marking their third consecutive win and bolstering their resurgent form. Quarterback Dak Prescott was instrumental, throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns to steer his team to success.
Despite the loss, Patrick Mahomes delivered a stellar performance for the Chiefs, completing 23 of 34 passes for 261 yards. He threw four touchdown passes—two to receiver Rashee Rice—and crucially avoided any interceptions. The only score in the third quarter came from Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, who extended the lead with a 36-yard field goal.
The star-studded event also drew notable figures to the stands. Mahomes was supported by his wife, Brittany Mahomes, and their three young children. However, global music icon and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce's fiancée, Taylor Swift, was not in attendance, as she rarely travels to games outside of Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium.
A Record-Breaking Day for the NFL
Remarkably, the 2022 viewership record was broken twice on the same day. Earlier on Thanksgiving Thursday, Fox Sports reported that its broadcast of the Green Bay Packers' 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions attracted 47.7 million viewers, briefly holding the new record. That game's audience peaked at an even higher 57.957 million during its final quarter-hour.
Completing a historic day for football, the night game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals also set a benchmark, drawing 28.4 million viewers to become the most-watched late window game in Thanksgiving history.
This unprecedented surge in viewership underscores the enduring power of the NFL's Thanksgiving schedule and the massive draw of its top-tier teams and superstar athletes, delivering a ratings bonanza for broadcasters.
