The NFL is back, with the Seattle Seahawks once again defeating the New England Patriots in a low-scoring Super Bowl rematch. With football’s triumphant return comes one of the most reliable audience magnets on television. Few properties deliver the scale, appointment viewing, and cross-generational reach of the NFL, especially on linear. For example, each primetime broadcast game this past week drew more than 20M viewers. This is exactly why Week 1 remains a marquee moment for advertisers looking to make an impact fast. Advertisers have already taken advantage, rolling out flashy ads featuring star power from inside and outside the NFL.
Viewership: Week 1 Draws Massive Audiences
The numbers back up the hype. Week 1 delivered strong viewership across every marquee window, with linear television still commanding the largest share of eyeballs even as streaming platforms grow their piece of the pie.
-Kickoff Game — 35.6M average audience
Linear: 48%
Peacock: 35%
YouTube TV: 17%
-Sunday Night Football — 28.2M average audience
Linear: 50%
Peacock: 30%
YouTube TV: 20%
-Monday Night Football — 21.5M average audience
Linear: 56%
Streaming: 23%
YouTube TV: 21%
ManningCast — 854K average audience
Linear still anchors NFL viewership, but the growing streaming share is a clear signal: advertisers who plan around broadcast alone are leaving reach on the table.
Maybe Football is Just a Ploy to Sell Food and Beer.
For Week 1, five subcategories dominated broadcast ad inventory: Fast Food, Cable Phone and Internet Providers, Auto and Commercial Insurance, Alcohol, and Streaming Services.
That lineup is a familiar one for NFL audiences and sporting events in general. In our coverage of the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, and the World Cup, we consistently found that alcohol and fast-food ads made up a higher share of broadcast airings compared with non-sporting programming running during the same window. The same thing happened here. In non-NFL programming that ran during the same time as the games, the top subcategories were Legal Services, Household and Home Improvement.
National fast-food chains leaned heavily into Week 1. Fast-food ads made up 10.4% of total broadcast airings during NFL games in Week 1. For comparison, fast-food ads accounted for just 3.6% of broadcast airings on non-NFL programming airing during the same window. McDonald's, Chipotle, Dunkin', KFC, and Burger King all ran numerous spots across the Wednesday, Sunday, and Monday broadcasts. The creative mix spanned the full playbook, from returning favorites like Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger and Dunkin's seasonal Pumpkin Spice lineup to new menu launches like Chipotle's Pollo Asada and Domino's Detroit-style pizza.
In total, 15 different chains aired ads across the three Week 1 broadcasts, a clear sign that fast-food brands continue to see NFL audiences as a natural fit.
Alcohol brands were hoping to remind viewers to pair their buffalo wings or pizza with a nice cold beer. Overall, alcohol ads accounted for 4% of broadcast airings during the Week 1 games. For comparison, alcohol ads made up less than 1% of advertising on non-NFL programming airing during the same window. Beer brands advertising during the games included Corona, Bud Light, Coors, Michelob Ultra, Modelo, and Miller Lite. Of those, Corona, Bud Light, and Michelob Ultra advertised across all three game-day broadcasts on Wednesday, Sunday, and Monday.
YouTube TV's Sunday Ticket Move
Streaming services were some of the most aggressive advertisers of the week. YouTube TV, Tubi, Peacock, Paramount, and Hulu were among the streaming platforms competing for viewers' attention and subscriptions right alongside the games themselves. YouTube TV made a big Week 1 push for its NFL Sunday Ticket package, with ads airing across every game. Meanwhile, other platforms advertised new seasons of their shows like Peacock's The Paper and Hulu's Chad Powers.
Familiar Faces Return
For some, the real game happens during the commercial break. Advertisers went all out, and with the return of the NFL season, came the return of NFL stars in ads. Patrick Mahomes is back from the ACL injury he suffered late last season, and his return to the field also brought his return to State Farm ads. Over on the AFC East, New Balance showed off Josh Allen’s crazy moves at QB, and Betterment showed us the difference between Drake Maybe and Drake Maye. Retired NFL legends also got in on the fun. Marshawn Lynch went full beast mode in a Kalshi ad, Ninja Kitchen's HydraSense met Tom Brady's high standards for water, and we’re still debating if his name is Peyton or Painting Manning.
The Takeaway
We’re now entering Week 2 of the NFL season. With 15 weeks to go until post-season, advertisers, both national and local, will continue to have great opportunities to reach large audiences. However, if you were looking to get into the Super Bowl, you’re out of time. Disney announced the Big Game’s ad inventory is already sold out. Without the Winter Olympics this year, Q1 tent pole event opportunities for advertisers are limited. The Wild Card, Divisional, and Championship games, as well as the Oscars, will all provide good opportunities for advertisers who can’t jump into the Big Game.