In our industry, we talk a lot about cord-cutting and how the traditional TV entertainment giants have been going by the wayside as younger viewers (and some older ones!) increasingly prefer cheaper and more targeted video content, like streaming services and YouTube videos.
But there’s still one legacy TV giant that not only isn’t losing ground, but continuing to grow as a viewership-generating juggernaut: the NFL.
America’s football league has kept up with changing times by embracing being online. It’s sealed broadcast deals with YouTube, Netflix, and more, and just kicked off its 2025-26 season with a YouTube-exclusive Chiefs/Chargers matchup in São Paulo that drew 17.3 million viewers.
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It’s not just that game getting eyeballs, though. Across the board, the NFL is doing well: Sports Illustrated reports the NFL has reported record-setting TV and digital ratings for the first two weeks of the season, with live game viewership averaging 20.7 million people. That’s up 4% from 2024 and a whopping 17% from 2023.
And, according to a new study from Horowitz Research, the NFL is also rocking at the top of second-screen charts.
The idea of second-screen viewing has been around for a while, but got into mainstream news after anonymous sources claimed Netflix is purposefully rewriting shows and movies to be dumber. The idea is that whatever’s playing on Netflix is the “second screen” behind what viewers are actually paying attention to: their phones. With dumber content that re-explains the plot over and over, viewers can dip in and out of the narrative while scrolling on TikTok and still be more or less aware of what’s going on.
Viewers are apparently doing the same thing with the NFL–but most of them, instead of browsing unrelated social media, reading, or watching another show, are looking at content related to the NFL, Horowitz found.
Researchers concluded that “[f]rom shopping in real time to engaging across multiple platforms, today’s NFL audience is blending technology and interactivity to redefine what it means to be a fan,” TV Technology reports.
Their data showed that 63% of NFL viewers engage with related social media, either by looking at posts or making their own, while they’re watching. It also showed that 39% of NFL viewers are engaging with extra/behind the scenes content like player cams and drone footage.
They engage with their dollars, too: 51% of NFL viewers shop for sports merch while actively watching live games. 43% also engage with live sports games through “interactive gaming features” or video games (the former of which we think may include daily fantasy/betting apps).
All this boils down to opportunity for leagues. Netflix (which also has a deal with the NFL, $150 million for two Christmas games per year) is banking on viewers not really paying attention to their content. But the NFL, judging by this data, can safely bank on viewers paying extra attention. They’re not using their phones as a distraction from games; they’re using their phones to access social media, merch, and interactive apps that enhance their fandom experience.
This is a major plus for the NFL, and an opportunity if it wants to roll out more ancillary content across socials and apps, directly addressing–and embracing–those second-screen viewers.
