While the Chiefs’ 34-20 opening-night win over the Texans wasn’t exactly competitive, that didn’t matter in a ratings sense. And as it turned out, all the social justice initiatives pro football players have engaged in over the offseason, not to mention the pre-game show of unity that was sadly booed by some in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium, really didn’t affect the national opinion of the NFL.
Per NBC Sports, the “Thursday Night Football” opener averaged 19.3 million viewers, which is the most-watched sporting event since Super Bowl LIV, and just the second show of any kind to average more than 20 million viewers per hour since then — the Academy Awards averaged 23.