Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving Game Shatters All Viewership Records

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 at the AT&T Stadium in Patrick Mahomes’ first NFL game at the stadium

Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving Game Shatters All Viewership Records

George Pickens (Image via Yahoo Sports)

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The Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs game on Thanksgiving has broken the previous records for regular-season viewership. A record number of 57.2 million people sat down after their festivities to watch the Dallas Cowboys defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the classic encounter.

The storylines ahead of the match positively hinted at a huge viewership. The Chiefs, a dynasty in the making, were looking to thwart and usurp the “America’s Team” tag from the Cowboys, who haven’t made the conference finals in three decades. There was a lot at stake for the teams and the game taking place on the favorite American holiday; it was predicted to be a historic night, and it was.

The Cowboys’ humbling win against the Chiefs has surpassed the previous records of highest viewership for a regular-season match by more than 15 million. The previous record, set three Thanksgivings ago, saw 42 million fans tuning in to see the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Giants.

The other slots on the day also fell records. The Green Bay Packers played divisional rivals Detroit Lions, in the early afternoon slot, becoming the most-viewed early Thanksgiving game. Thanks to the NFL kicking back the start by thirty minutes to begin at 1:00 p.m. ET, 47.7 million tuned in to watch the game on Fox and Tubi.

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals’ marvellous defeat of the Baltimore Ravens became the most-watched Thanksgiving night game with an average of 28.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo. The increment in the viewership numbers can be attributed to the NFL’s strategic decision to pit rival teams against each other on Thanksgiving and Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel Technology, which has offered much more solid data on out-of-home viewership during the games.

The Chiefs and Cowboys hunt for a playoff spot in their respective conferences

The Kansas City Chiefs have been a constant presence in the playoffs for a decade now. They have been the winners of the AFC West for the last nine seasons, and they have won three rings in the meantime. They have truly tried to take over from where the New England Patriots left off. However, with a Super Bowl loss last season, a setback this year could foil their plans.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Dallas Cowboys counterpart Dak Prescott dap hands after the Thanksgiving game
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Dallas Cowboys counterpart Dak Prescott dap hands after the Thanksgiving game (Image via Yahoo Sports)

The Kansas City Chiefs are 6-6 after twelve games and ranked tenth in the conference. They are close to losing the division streak to the Denver Broncos, who need just three more wins to eliminate the Chiefs from division title contention. The Chiefs have a hard stretch in the coming weeks, playing both the Los Angeles Chargers and the Broncos. In Week 14, they have a tense battle against the best defense in the league, the Houston Texans.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys are in a much better spot with their 6-5-1 record. They play the Detroit Lions (7-5) in a decisive battle between the eighth and the ninth-ranked teams in the National Football Conference. The Cowboys enter as underdogs at Ford Field, looking to better their playoff chances and avenge their blowout loss in the last matchup between the two.

Despite a slightly better record than the Cowboys, their playoff chances according to The Athletic’s Playoff Simulator are quite less. At the time of writing, the Chiefs have a 37% chance and the Cowboys 23%. The projected standings put them both outside the final seven from their respective conferences. The chances for the Chiefs heavily rely upon their Week 14 battle, and a loss could dip their chances to a mere 12%. And the Cowboys could go down to 9% if they lose to the Lions tomorrow.

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