# NFL Viewership Drops 4% But Stays Third Highest

> NFL viewership down 4% through two weeks but remains NFL's third-highest average on record.
- Title: NFL Viewership Drops 4% But Stays Third Highest · NBC Sports
- Summary: NFL viewership down 4% through two weeks but remains NFL's third-highest average on record. NFL viewership dropped 4% compared to 2025 but remains the…
- Keywords: nfl, viewership, 2026, 2025, week 1, week 2, average viewership, third highest, sports, Drops, Stays, Third
- Source: NBC Sports — https://nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-viewership-is-down-four-percent-through-two-weeks-but-its-still-the-third-highest-on-record
- Published: 2026-09-24T17:03:03.661+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nfl, viewership, 2026, 2025, week 1, week 2, average viewership, third highest, sports
## NFL Viewership Trend
The second week of the 2026 NFL season saw better viewership than the first week relative to 2025.
## Viewership Drop
Average viewership dropped four percent compared to 2025 through two weeks of the season.
## Week 2 Numbers
Week 2 games averaged 20.4 million viewers, up from 19.5 million in Week 1.
## Historical Context
This is the third-highest average viewership through two weeks in NFL history.
## Previous Year Comparison
Week 1 viewership dropped 13 percent compared to 2025.
## Next Week Games
Week 3 features Rams-Broncos, Ravens-Cowboys, and Eagles-Bears games.
## Key takeaway

NFL viewership dropped 4% compared to 2025 but remains the third-highest average through two weeks in league history.