📺 33.8 million viewers for a regular-season NFL game. What can Eagles-Chiefs teach us about how, when and why fans watch sport? 🏈 This past weekend, the National Football League (NFL)'s regular-season rematch Super Bowl contenders the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs drew 𝟑𝟑.𝟖 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 on FOX Sports. That's the most-watched regular-season Sunday game since records began in 1988, Fox's biggest ever non-postseason broadcast, and a number eclipsed only by eight Thanksgiving fixtures and one Monday Night Football classic from 1990 (exactly, 35 years ago). Why did this matchup cut through? First, the narrative: two leading franchises with superstar players and recent Super Bowl history, coupled with a rivalry that fans are emotionally invested in. Second, the schedule: no competing blockbuster games in the same slot, giving the fixture centre stage. And thirdly, the platform: a national network telecast, measured under Nielsen's updated methodology, capturing more out-of-home and streaming audiences than ever before. For the wider sports industry, there are lessons here: - Compelling storylines and rivalries remain the strongest driver of live viewership. - Timing and scheduling can amplify or dilute audience size. - The evolution of measurement means rights holders and sponsors are finally seeing the full picture of how fans consume sport. The NFL continues to prove that with the right mix of narrative, timing and accessibility, live sport (of 3+ hours at that) can still command mass audiences (including Gen Z and Alpha). The open question is whether other competitions - in football, basketball, or beyond - can adapt their scheduling and platform strategies to replicate this level of success. #SportsBusiness #NFL #MediaRights

🏈 The NFL is back tonight with the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting their rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Here's why marketers should pay attention to the crossover with soccer fans: According to an August dataset from YouGov, four out of five soccer fans in America are at least "a little bit interested" in the NFL. That's massive overlap, and 34% consider the league one of their top interests. The engagement is also real: 25% watched 10+ NFL games in the past 12 months, and 11% attend games in person during a typical season. Yes, Eagles / Cowboys is a perfect matchup to kick off any NFL season, but the timing is particularly great. Both are among soccer fans' five current favorite NFL teams, alongside the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. Crossover fandom represents a significant opportunity for brands. Soccer fans aren't living in a sports silo—they're multi-sport consumers with strong engagement across different leagues and seasons.

Dallas Cowboys lock in Hunter Luepke with $7.5M extension, securing key fullback talent through 2027 season Dallas Cowboys secure Hunter Luepke with $7.5M extension The Dallas Cowboys have made a significant move to bolster their backfield by extending the contract of fullback Hunter Luepke. According to reports from NFL Network, the Cowboys have reached a two-year extension with Luepke, which can be valued at up to $7.5 million. This contract keeps […] The content Dallas Cowboys lock in Hunter Luepke with $7.5M extension, securing key fullback talent through 2027 season appear first in M Sports. https://lnkd.in/dUKFGkMt

NFL on YouTube: Smart experiment or slippery slope? The NFL’s first-ever YouTube-exclusive game — Chargers vs. Chiefs in São Paulo — went off without a hitch technically. Clear picture, smooth stream, no crashes. ✅ But what stood out most wasn’t the football. It was the content-first approach: - Main broadcast with Rich Eisen & Kurt Warner - An alt-cast with IShowSpeed 🤯 - A MrBeast-style fan challenge (yes, someone literally got shot out of a cannon) - Creator-heavy pregame segments Love it or hate it, this is the NFL’s bold play to lock in Gen Z and global audiences. It wasn’t perfect — at times it felt more YouTube self-promo than football — but it signals where sports media is heading: entertainment-first, distribution-second. So here’s the big question: 👉 Do fans actually want influencer-infused broadcasts with YouTubers and viral stunts? Or would they rather stick with traditional commentary and analysis? The NFL will cash checks either way. But the viewing experience? That’s up for debate.

Washington Commanders’ bold purge of first-round picks reshapes NFL landscape with Dotson and Forbes finding new homes Washington Commanders reshape roster with bold moves involving first-round picks The Washington Commanders recently made waves in the NFL landscape with a significant roster overhaul that went largely unnoticed. In a span of just four months, the organization parted ways with three former first-round selections, signaling a bold shift in strategy. Key Departures from the […] The content Washington Commanders’ bold purge of first-round picks reshapes NFL landscape with Dotson and Forbes finding new homes appear first in M Sports. https://lnkd.in/dcTevfUu

Kalshi did bonkers trading volume in its first full NFL weekend - no surprise there. By our count, Kalshi's NFL week 1 trading volume was north of $266 million, largely driven by in-game (live) trading and primetime games. But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Fees remain a hindrance that Kalshi will need to address as competitors line up to fight for a piece of the rapidly-growing pie. Other highlights from Matthew Schmitto: -The exchange’s headline number includes trades facilitated by brokerage partners like Robinhood and Webull, though platform-level splits aren’t public. -Routing through Robinhood runs $0.01 per contract for users, while trading directly on Kalshi can cost up to $0.0175 per contract...In many cases, those fees actually made the effective prices worse than comparable lines at DraftKings or FanDuel - as EGR Global pointed out. -The good news for traders is competition is on its way... -Week 1 goes in Kalshi’s win column, but as football fans know, championships aren’t won in September. With new entrants dialing up trick plays and defensive schemes, the prediction-market season title is still far too early to call. Read the full article at PredictionNews ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eCwKnj4T

Is a fee war on the horizon in prediction markets land? As Matthew Schmitto points out, impending competition is likely to push Kalshi to lower its fees, which will be great news for the thousands flocking to prediction markets to trade on NFL, college football, politics and everything else. For more #PredictionMarkets industry highlights and trading ideas, check out today's Prediction Market Pulse newsletter! https://lnkd.in/ejikV_SH

The Cowboys haven’t mattered on the field in nearly 30 years. But they don’t need to. Jerry Jones built a business model where: Hope is renewable energy The scoreboard is optional The brand is the game Full breakdown of how the NFL’s most valuable franchise wins without winning ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eE2CAhCB

Lions opt for quality over quantity with two-quarterback roster led by Goff and Allen in bold NFL strategy Lions embrace bold strategy with two-quarterback roster featuring Goff and Allen As the NFL gears up for Week 1, the Detroit Lions have finalized their 53-man roster, and it’s turning heads around the league. Notably, the Lions have opted for a two-quarterback strategy, placing their confidence squarely in Jared Goff and Kyle Allen. This decision […] The content Lions opt for quality over quantity with two-quarterback roster led by Goff and Allen in bold NFL strategy appear first in M Sports. https://lnkd.in/ddbpbcng

Sky Sports Sets New NFL Deal Sky Sports has renewed its long-standing agreement with the National Football League (NFL) for the U.K. and Ireland. https://lnkd.in/eSWYakDj