Look, getting 18.5 million Americans to tune in to watch anything in 2026 is nothing to sneeze at. But for an NFL game, it’s a sign the league may have hit a wall in how far it can extend its reach.
The NFL announced Monday that the San Francisco 49ers’ shellacking of the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on Netflix averaged 18.5 million viewers in the U.S., according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.
Viewership peaked at 21.3 million viewers in the U.S. between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. ET.
The 18.5 million figure closely matches last year’s U.S. audience for the Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Chargers game in Brazil, which was broadcast on YouTube. Last year’s game, which was played on a Friday, was free to watch, while this year’s requires a paid subscription.
This year’s game garnered 21.7 million viewers globally, reportedly from over 200 countries and territories. The 3.2 million international audience far surpasses the 1.2 million non-U.S. viewers who watched the Brazil game last year. It was also the most-watched NFL game ever in Australia.
Coupled with the 2026 NFL Kickoff game, which averaged 25.1 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, the worst audience for an opener since 2022, it sends a message to those who dislike the league’s expansion into non-traditional gamedays (Wednesday) and streaming exclusives (Netflix, YouTube) that they might be onto something.
It’s worth noting that Netflix used Nielsen audience measurement this year, something the NFL noted it was displeased with given changes to its methodology.
The NFL also appears to have a specific agenda for this and other international games, one it may be happily willing to sacrifice a few million American viewers (and player well-being) in Week 1 for.
Again, it’s not as though the NFL isn’t about to dominate TV ratings once again. But it’s rare to see the league post back-to-back disappointing ratings figures to open a season, especially given how much it’s trying to eventize everything now. It’s not as though audiences are fleeing, but some do seem willing to check out when it’s not football the way they’re used to.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.