The Dallas Cowboys have struggled to collect wins this season, with an overall record of only 5-7, but that did not deter a record-breaking number of viewers from tuning into their matchup against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day.
Viewership information from this game indicates that the Cowboys drew 38.5 million and will project to be the most watched game during the 2024 NFL regular season, with the game peaking at 41.3 million viewers from 5:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. CT, according to Fox Sports PR.
Despite the Cowboys’ worse overall record this season than last year, the total viewership increased by 14% from the matchup against the Washington Commanders last season.
This matchup, projected to be the most watched telecast on any network since Super Bowl LVIII, drew the fourth most viewers of any Thanksgiving Day matchup in NFL history, per Fox Sports PR.
The Cowboys playing on Thanksgiving Day has become a tradition for the NFL since the 1978 season, with the team appearing in 57 Thanksgiving games since its first in 1966, per Yahoo Sports.
Dallas has managed to put together a record of 34-22-1 during those appearances following the win over New York, including a three-game win streak after taking down the Giants and Commanders in the two seasons prior, according to USA Today.
The Cowboys have struggled to bounce back from the numerous injuries suffered by players on the team to begin this season, with America’s Team’s record falling to 3-7 during an earlier portion of the season.
However, two straight wins have the Cowboys at 5-7 this season and still technically alive for the playoffs, though an appearance in the postseason may be unrealistic due to the improvement of the NFC as a whole.
Although the Green Bay Packers managed to make the playoffs last season with a record of 9-8, the Cowboys will likely have to finish this season with a record of 10-7 or 11-6 to finish as the seventh seed in the NFC.
To finish the season undefeated, the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have to be defeated in the final five weeks.
While it may seem unlikely that the Cowboys can make a run to the playoffs, linebacker Micah Parson said after the Thanksgiving Day victory that the league should not take Dallas lightly.
“There’s been a lot of trash talk out there, talking about what difference can we make. We still got some guys coming back from the chamber,” he said during a post-game interview, per The New York Post.
“I’m telling you all right now, we’re coming,” added Parson.