2021 NFL Season Averaged 17.1M Viewers; Here Are This Season’s NFL Media Rankings

Published|Updated

For the first time in history, each NFL team played 17 regular season games, and it still seems like fans couldn't get enough of the action.

The 2021 NFL regular season averaged 17.1 million viewers on TV and digital platforms — the highest regular-season average since 2015 and a 10% increase from the 2020 season, per NFL Communications.

NFL games ranked as 48 of the Top 50 shows — and 91 of the Top 100 — on TV during the 2021 regular season, accounting for a total of 370 billion minutes of football consumed throughout the season. That's up 18% from the 2020 regular season.

"Featuring incredible play on the field and close contests, the 2021 regular season proved to be one of the most exciting and exhilarating of all-time," NFL Media's EVP and Chief Operating Officer Hans Schroeder said. "This year's schedule, highlighted by an enhanced regular season featuring 17 games, gave our broadcast partners the ability to provide fans with more football and incredible matchups than ever. We look forward to a strong finish with the upcoming postseason and Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles."

Here are the Top 10 most-watched NFL games during the 2021 regular season:

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Courtesy of NFL Communications.

In the 2021 regular season, there were 34 games decided by a game-winning score on the final play — the most ever in a single season — while 49 games were decided by a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation or overtime, which is tied for most in a single season, per NFL Communications.

Of the 272 total games played in the regular season this year, 175 games – or 64% of all games – were within one score in the fourth quarter. This is tied for the fourth-most all-time.

In November, OutKick's Anthony Farris reported that NFL ratings were up in more than half of local markets with the Los Angeles Chargers leading the way.

Follow Meg Turner on Twitter @Megnturner_ and Instagram @Megnturner.

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