The NFL averaged 22.3 million viewers per game during the league’s opening week, making it the most-watched Week 1 on record for the second straight year.

The per-game average on TV and digital platforms was a 5% increase from the 21 million Week 1 average of last season, according to the league and Nielsen.

Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in the way viewers are counted. Nielsen began using its Big Data Panel methodology for all events beginning on Sept. 1 and coinciding with the upcoming start of the new television season.

Earlier this year, Nielsen began measuring out-of-home viewers for all states but Hawaii and Alaska, along with including data from smart TVs along with cable and satellite set-top boxes.

Nielsen previously measured just the top 44 media markets, which covered 65% of the country.

This was the third straight season where at least four of the 16 games averaged at least 20 million.

NBC had the two most-watched games.

Defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia’s 24-20 victory over Dallas in last Thursday’s opener averaged 28.3 million on TV and digital, making it the second-most watched NFL Kickoff game on record. The game was averaging 31.6 million, and would have topped last year’s record 29.2 million mark for Baltimore versus Kansas City before a weather delay in the third quarter stopped the game for more than an hour.

Buffalo’s 41-40 victory over Baltimore on Sunday night averaged 24.7 million, the most watched SNF opener since 2022.

NBC and Peacock’s 26.5 million average for the two games is its second-highest opening week average. The 2015 slate of Steelers-Patriots and Cowboys-Giants averaged 27.2 million.

The late afternoon contest between Detroit and Green Bay averaged 24 million on CBS, the network’s most-watched Week 1 game since it reacquired NFL rights in 1998. The Packers posted a 27-13 win over the Lions in Micah Parsons’ debut with Green Bay.

CBS averaged 20.4 million for its doubleheader package of six games. The four-game early window — headlined by Pittsburgh’s 34-32 win over the New York Jets — averaged 17.1 million.

Minnesota’s 27-24 comeback victory over Chicago on Monday night averaged 22.1 million on ESPN, ABC and ESPN2, the second-most watched MNF game since ESPN took over as the main broadcaster in 2006 and an 8% increase over last year.

Led by Washington’s 21-6 win over the New York Giants, Fox’s early Sunday singleheader of six games averaged 17.9 million.

Last Friday’s game in Brazil between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs on YouTube TV and NFL digital platforms averaged 17.3 million globally. The U.S. average for the Chargers 27-21 victory was 16.2 million, which included over-the-air broadcasts in Los Angeles and Kansas City.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl