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Patriots-Seahawks NFL Opener Draws 25.1M Viewers, Peaks 27.4M

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 10:29 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

NBC Sports delivered the largest adult 18-49 audience for an NFL kickoff game since 2021.
The Patriots-Seahawks opener averaged 25.1 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital.
Viewership peaked at 27.4 million viewers from 9 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. ET.
Among adults 18-49, the broadcast averaged 10.0 million viewers, the best in five years.
Overall viewership was down 12% from the 2025 opener, the lowest since 2022.

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Story summary

NBC Sports delivered the largest adult 18-49 audience for an NFL kickoff game since 2021.
The Patriots-Seahawks opener averaged 25.1 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital.
Viewership peaked at 27.4 million viewers from 9 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. ET.
Among adults 18-49, the broadcast averaged 10.0 million viewers, the best in five years.
Overall viewership was down 12% from the 2025 opener, the lowest since 2022.