Football continues to dominate televised U.S. sports: Impressive viewership numbers for the NFL Hall of Fame game
The NFL debuted its first preseason game last week and fans were already tuning in with record numbers, showing just how much football dominates in America.
The NFL officially returned last week, although it was only the start of the preseason - and not even the official start. The NFL’s annual Hall of Fame Game doesn’t actually count towards the preseason records of the participating teams. But still, it’s the first time we see the players (third stringers though they may be) take the field in the six months since the previous season’s end.
And this year’s game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions proved that that’s all it takes to get fans excited again, as the game hit record viewership.
Introducing the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025!@ProFootballHOF Game on NBC
— NFL (@NFL) August 1, 2025
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/KVOTjzIxKT
Hall of Fame Game ratings prove the NFL still rules American sports
The 2025 NFL Hall of Fame Game between the Chargers and Lions drew 6.9 million viewers on NBC - the game’s highest viewership since 2021 when the Dallas Cowboys played the Pittsburgh Steelers, drawing 7.3 million. That marks a 40% increase from last year’s matchup.
Perhaps even more telling is that the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game outperformed several other major sporting events, including the the NBA All-Star Game (4.7M), most MLB and NHL regular-season games, the NFL Pro Bowl (4.7M), and even the NHL Stanley Cup Final (2.5M). The NBA Final did beat out the NFL Hall of Fame Game in numbers, but only two playoff games before the NBA championship drew more of an audience than the preseason NFL game did.
🚨🚨THIS IS INSANE🚨🚨
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 6, 2025
MORE PEOPLE WATCHED THE #NFL HALL OF FAME PRESEASON GAME THAN THE AVERAGE NBA PLAYOFF GAME.
Hall of Fame Game: 6.9 million
NBA Playoffs: 4.5 million viewers
THE NFL IS THE UNDISPUTED KING. pic.twitter.com/QSLiCADi7h
Even without starters like Justin Herbert and Jared Goff playing, fans tuned in en masse, highlighting the NFL’s unmatched popularity. The only sporting events that consistently top this viewership are deep playoff or championship games in other leagues.
The blowout result (Chargers 34, Lions 7) didn’t deter fans, proving once again that even NFL preseason matchups can dominate the sports TV landscape.
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