The 2024 NFL season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens may have got off to a late start due to a lightning delay, but that didn’t effect viewership.
An average 28.9 million viewers tuned into NBC and Peacock to watch the Chiefs narrowly defeat the Ravens 27-20 on Thursday, to become the most-watched regular-season opener in NFL history. In comparison, the 2023 season opener between the Chiefs and Detroit Lions attracted an average 27.5 million viewers.
The 2024 NFL regular-season kickoff broadcast peaked at 33 million viewers during the second quarter around 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET, but the drama came late in the matchup.
With Baltimore trailing by a touchdown with seconds left on the clock, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson connected with tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown. Ravens coach John Harbaugh was holding up two fingers, signaling a two-point conversion attempt for the win, but replay review showed Likely’s toe narrowly landed out of bounds.
The Gotham Reporter 