An average of more than 28.9 million viewers tuned in to see Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs defeat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, making the NBC and Peacock broadcast the most-watched NFL Kickoff Game in league history, according to NBC Sports.
Viewership of the 2023 AFC Championship Game rematch peaked in the second quarter, with 33 million viewers tuning in around 9:30 p.m. ET, the network reported.
That marked a five percent increase in viewership over the NFL's previous most-watched season opener, which took place last September when the Detroit Lions kicked off the 2023 campaign with a 21-20 win over the Chiefs.