The historic Washington Commanders vs Dallas Cowboys rivalry has delivered some of the best regular-season games and all-time moments ever. While the Thanksgiving Day battle between the two NFC East rivals wasn’t close, it made some NFL history in its own way.
On Thursday afternoon, CBS hosted the Thanksgiving edition of the Commanders vs Cowboys rivalry. Dallas controlled it from start to finish, jumping out to a 20-10 halftime lead. While it remained within two scores entering the fourth quarter, Dallas erupted for 25 points in the final 15 minutes to close out a blowout 45-10 victory.
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Typically, one-sided games are bad for television ratings. Even in a matchup between storied rivals, a majority of NFL fans will turn off the game if it’s too one-sided. There was even more reason for fans to look elsewhere, while at home with families on Thanksgiving. However, CBS had one of its highest-rated broadcasts ever.
According to CBS Sports PR, Thursday’s Commanders vs Cowboys game averaged 41.438 million viewers. It was the most-watched broadcast on any network since Super Bowl LVII.
At its peak, the broadcast pulled in 44.265 million viewers and Paramount+ recorded its most-streamed NFL regular-season game ever. As for how it stacks up to the league’s history, the Commanders vs Cowboys matchup on Thanksgiving was the third-most watched regular season game in NFL history.
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While the other Thanksgiving games fared well, they paled in comparison to the CBS broadcast. NBC reported its San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks broadcast averaged nearly 27 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched Thanksgiving games ever.
It’s been that kind of year for the NFL, too. ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs was the most-watched primetime game in ESPN history.