Dolphins vs. Cowboys Game Breaks NFL Viewership Records

One of the biggest games on the Christmas Weekend slate around the NFL was the one between the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. Both teams were 10-4 and looking to solidify playoff position, and were also looking to shake certain narratives brought on by the media and fans. The story lines combined with the Christmas Eve afternoon start time made it one of the most watched football games in recent memory.

NFL: 31.5 Million People Watched Dolphins vs. Cowboys

NFL Ratings: The #Dolphins–#Cowboys game on FOX had 31.5 million viewers.

The AMERICA’S GAME OF THE WEEK currently ranks as the most-watched program in all of television since 1995. https://t.co/JG6gDgbDLc pic.twitter.com/WCQksct7fN

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 27, 2023

While the game was lower scoring than most expected, the competition was intense. The Dolphins scored a touchdown late in the first half to take a 13-7 lead into half-time, and it would be the only time they’d find the end zone all day. They instead relied on their kicker, as Jason Sanders nailed five field goals on the day, including the 29-yarder that won the game for Miami.

There were plenty of people who were watching.

According to the viewership numbers that were released on Wednesday, the game between Miami and Dallas was watched by better than 31.5 million people around the country. Excluding the Thanksgiving Day NFL games, it was the most-watched broadcast of any game so far this season across any network, and was up 13% from last year’s Week 16 numbers.

Thanksgiving Still Dominates The Airwaves

NFL Ratings: The #Raiders–#Chiefs Christmas Day game on CBS Sports & Nickelodeon had 29+ million viewers.

It was the most-watched Christmas Day game since 1989. 🏈🎄 https://t.co/an1xybfIgD pic.twitter.com/Np9m9JwqOG

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 26, 2023

The contest was broadcasted as FOX’s Game Of The Week, which is currently the most-watched program in all of television on a weekly basis. The Christmas Eve thriller in Miami had the best viewership performance of any Game Of The Week broadcast since 1995.

The Thanksgiving Day slate of course dominates the viewership every NFL season. The game between the Cowboys and Commanders on that day bought in 41.7 million viewers, and 33.7 million saw the Lions take on the Packers, which are the most-watched games of the year so far.

The Dolphins/Cowboys game will now be ranked third. By comparison, it had more viewers than five of the six Wild Card playoff games played during the 2022 postseason.

The most watched non-holiday game was the Week 11 Monday Night Football contest between the Chiefs and Eagles that ended in dramatic fashion.