The NFL made a strong prime-time start last week, drawing over 25 million viewers for the Seattle Seahawks’ victory over the New England Patriots and outperforming a speech by President Donald Trump at the Republican midterm convention.
According to Nielsen data released Monday by NBC Sports, the Kickoff Game—a rematch of Super Bowl LX—averaged more than 25 million viewers on NBC and Peacock for the fourth consecutive year.
The network reported that the game achieved its largest audience among adults aged 18 to 49 since 2021, averaging 10 million viewers in that key demographic across NBC, Peacock, and digital platforms.
The broadcast coincided with the opening night of the first Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, where Trump delivered a live speech carried by Fox News. Trump claimed the event’s “overall numbers beat the NFL,” but offered no figures or methodology to support it.
Nielsen metrics showed the address drew approximately 2.5 million viewers, undercutting the president’s assertion.
Meanwhile, the league’s first regular-season fixture in Australia averaged 18.5 million U.S. viewers on Netflix, with the game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams peaking at 21.3 million.
Preliminary viewing numbers indicate that President Donald Trump’s 105-minute speech on the opening night of the two-day Texas convention was seen by fewer people than typical audiences for Fox News shows Hannity and Gutfeld!.
Reports from The New York Times and Mediate, citing preliminary Nielsen data, noted that the summit failed to draw large numbers or deliver a typical audience boost for Fox News across the keynote address Wednesday and closing speech Thursday.
An average of 2.5 million viewers tuned into Fox News between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET Wednesday, falling below usual viewership for Hannity and Gutfeld!, which normally air in those hours.
Fox News was among the few major networks to broadcast the entire speech, while competitors CNN, CBS, ABC, and MSNOW chose not to air Trump’s remarks in full. Conservative network NewsMax and C-SPAN also carried the full address.
Trump’s speech—in which he pledged his administration would distribute $5,000 to each American adult if voters help Republicans keep their congressional majority through the 2026 midterms—clashed directly with the NFL season opener.
The president claimed his opening night speech beat viewing figures for the clash between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks before final numbers were available.
“The Republican Midterm Convention last night, in Dallas, was a major, sold out hit, far bigger, better, and more important than anyone thought possible,” Trump posted Thursday on Truth Social. “It was really something, streaming all over the place, and really big numbers, despite going up against the NFL. The overall numbers beat the NFL.”
Final ratings for the game were not immediately available, though NBC noted that over 20 million people tuned in for the previous season’s first game. Trump’s Thursday night closing speech also coincided with the San Francisco 49ers-Los Angeles Rams game.
Wednesday night’s 2.5 million figure did not include online streaming, which remains difficult to measure. However, progressive political commentator Keith Edwards, who streamed himself reacting to the speech live on YouTube, mocked Trump by comparing viewing numbers.
“50k people watched the GOP’s livestream. 500k watched me laugh at it,” Edwards posted on X alongside a screenshot of the figures.
The president repeatedly claimed the Dallas arena was packed, despite noticeable sections of empty seating throughout the venue.
Trump rounded out the final night by leading his audience in a mock Pledge of Allegiance, asking followers to promise to vote for his allies in upcoming elections.
Political insiders had warned the event would encounter difficulties, with some GOP operatives calling the gathering hosted by the Republican National Committee a disaster, and one strategist telling Puck News it was a “s*** show.”
RNC spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said in response: “President Trump turns out voters like no other candidate, and this convention will provide the momentum needed to expand our majorities in November.”
