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Cowboys-Chiefs Thanksgiving game shatters NFL regular season viewership record

Meby: Nick Geddes13 hours agoNickGeddesNews

The Dallas Cowboys are always a big draw. And when AT&T Stadium is rocking on Thanksgiving Day, there’s always a chance for Dallas to break another record.

This past Thursday, Thanksgiving 2025, a perfect storm resulted in the NFL regular season viewership record being shattered. According to CBS Sports, 57.2 million viewers watched the Cowboys’ 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on CBS. Viewership peaked with more than 61 million viewers. It topped the previous record set on Thanksgiving in 2022, when 42 million viewers watched the Cowboys and New York Giants on FOX.

The Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and carrying the Taylor Swift fanbase behind them, were the most-watched team in the league in 2024. The Cowboys are always near the top of that list. You can say the NFL knew what it was doing here, pitting these two teams against each other on Thanksgiving when a good chunk of the country is focused on food and football.

Taking it a step further, this was an extremely important game for both teams. The Chiefs entered the game 6-5, sitting outside of the playoff picture in the AFC. Dallas, meanwhile, was 5-5-1, though showing signs of life after a come from behind win over the Philadelphia Eagles just four days prior.

Cowboys outduel Chiefs in history making game

The Cowboys and Chiefs delivered a close contest which came down to the very end. Dallas held on to win, further improving its chances of sneaking into the postseason. Quarterback Dak Prescott was the standout performer, completing 27-of-39 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns. Dallas is full of confidence heading into Thursday Night Football against the Detroit Lions.

“[We have] a lot of confidence, but with a great understanding of what’s behind us,” Prescott said. “What’s important is this game and the way that we prepare for it. What’s been done is done. All we can take from those last games are the experience and the confidence, and that’s what we’re going to roll into this one with.

“It’s another good team, a playoff team, and understanding where they are in their season — trying to control everything that’s in front of them. So, plan for it to be a hard-fought, four-quarter game.”