The Chiefs' victory over the Ravens is the most watched NFL season opener of all time

The opening game of the 2024 NFL season between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens started late due to a lightning delay, but this had no impact on viewership.

An average of 28.9 million viewers tuned in to NBC and Peacock to see the Chiefs narrowly beat the Ravens 27-20 on Thursday, the network said Friday, making the game the most-watched season opener in NFL history. By comparison, the 2023 season opener between the Chiefs and Detroit Lions drew an average of 27.5 million viewers.

The broadcast of the 2024 NFL regular season kickoff peaked at 33 million viewers in the second quarter between 9:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. ET, but the excitement didn't build until late in the game.