NFL sees ratings boost to open 100th campaign

The NFL's centennial season opened with a bang this past weekend, as the league announced a 5% increase in viewers compared to last year.

The average Week 1 game was seen by 17.1 million people on broadcast, with another 514,000 watching on digital platforms.

The ratings bump can largely be attributed to digital streaming, which saw a significant 43% spike. Opening week also dominated the broadcast platform, as NFL games were the top six programs of the week on that medium.

The Dallas Cowboys' dismantling of the New York Giants attracted an average of 23.9 million viewers, FOX's best figure for a season opener since 2016 and the most viewed game of the week.

Thursday's opener and the Sunday Night Football broadcast each averaged 22.2 million viewers, as both saw increases for the first time since 2015, according to The Associated Press.

The AP also reported that the Monday doubleheader ranked as the top two programs on cable that night, while the network saw its best viewership numbers for those contests in four years.

Overall, NFL teams scored a Week 1-record 90 touchdowns, which were seen by a total audience of more than 109 million.