NFL Preseason Opener Draws 7 Million Viewers, Outpacing Major Sports Finals

Despite featuring two teams not expected to contend for the Super Bowl, the NFL’s preseason opener in Canton, Ohio, generated substantial television numbers. The matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers averaged 7 million viewers across NBC Sports and Peacock. This audience represents a 1% increase compared to the previous year’s contest and marks the highest viewership for the Hall of Fame Game since 2021.

The broadcast served as a strong indicator for the league’s health heading into the 2026 regular season. The 7 million figure exceeded the viewership of several high-profile recent sporting events, including the U.S. coverage of the NHL Stanley Cup Final, the men’s and women’s finals at Wimbledon, and The Open golf championship. It also outperformed every MLB regular-season game played so far this year and the 2026 Home Run Derby on Netflix.

The strong performance is notable given the participating teams. Neither franchise is currently viewed as a serious contender for Super Bowl LXI, with Arizona listed among the longest long shots in early betting markets. Nevertheless, the audience underscores the dominance of the NFL’s media rights partners.

Comcast Corporation, the parent company of NBC Sports, trades with a market capitalization of approximately $89.4 billion. Comcast shares were recently up 0.67% on the day. The company’s ability to leverage live sports remains a core component of its Media and Connectivity segments.

Context for these ratings comes on the heels of the 2025 regular season, which averaged its highest viewership since 1989. The upcoming season will also see adjustments in Nielsen’s co-viewing methodology, marking the agency’s third significant measurement change in under two years. Additionally, viewership potential for future exhibition games may differ; the last time the Hall of Fame Game aired on Sunday night in 2015, it averaged 11 million viewers.

What to watch

• Nielsen’s upcoming implementation of enhanced co-viewing methodology and its impact on total audience figures.
• Viewership trends for the remainder of the preseason schedule compared to this 7 million baseline.
• NFL performance data for the 2026 regular season following the record-setting averages in 2025.

Source: original release