Overview

• League figures show a 17% year-over-year increase across linear and digital platforms for nationally televised preseason games.
• NFL Network averaged 1.8 million viewers for live preseason games, a record for the channel and a 26% gain from 2024.
• The Hall of Fame Game topped 6 million viewers, marking the most-watched edition in four years.
• Fox’s Bears–Bills telecast drew 5.1 million viewers, the network’s best preseason audience in four years.
• The uptick follows a 2.2% decline in 2024 regular-season viewership to 17.5 million per game, and analysts caution that preseason gains may not predict regular-season trends.