NFL TV Draft: Which Games Will Draw The Biggest Audience In 2025?
Just weeks ago, The Athletic revealed how the Big Ten TV schedule gets divvied out between its various partners — the most fascinating part being that it’s basically a draft, much like people would hold for fantasy football leagues.
That got me thinking, though: What if the NFL did something similar (and hey, maybe they already do behind closed doors, to an extent).
To that end, I worked with iSpot experts (and fellow sports fans) Tyler Bobin and Joey Marcus, to draft the 10 games each of us thought could earn the largest audience during the 2025-26 season, and provide some explanations as to why along the way.
Given the schedule’s heavy emphasis on the NFC East, NFC North and the Kansas City Chiefs in primetime and standalone spots this year, it’s perhaps no surprise that those teams dominated the picks.
Round 1
John: Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 2)
What else should start this off but a Super Bowl rematch, this time at Arrowhead Stadium? Even if the game isn’t close, the audience will be there for the defending champs and Taylor Swift.
Tyler: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (Week 1)
I’m sticking with the Eagles with the second pick, but this time it’s in primetime on NBC. The 2025 NFL season kicks off with a heavyweight battle between the Eagles and their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys. The league couldn’t ask for a better matchup to start the season.
Joey: Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills (Week 1)
I’ll follow you both with the early season trend for my first pick — a Sunday Night Football matchup between the last two MVPs, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Plenty of storylines coming into this game with two perennial powerhouses looking to take the next step, and we all know how much Chris Collinsworth loves talking QBs. I will be waiting all day for Sunday Night.
Round 2
Joey: Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 13)
If there is one day of the year that’s owned by the NFL, it’s Thanksgiving. And there’s no better way to start it off with one of the Thanksgiving staples, as the Cowboys square off against one of the popular teams in league, the Chiefs.
Tyler: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders (Week 17)
With the marquee Thanksgiving matchup off the table, I’ve decided to stick with the holiday theme. But instead of turkey, we’re partying with Santa Claus. This Cowboys vs. Commanders showdown is bound to draw massive numbers for Netflix, with everyone watching to see what reigning Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels can do with a potential playoff berth on the line.
John: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (Week 13)
Holiday games have typically been winners with audiences, and the Lions’ traditional home game – especially against the fan-favorite Packers – seems like a no-brainer, despite the Lions potentially taking a step back this year.
Round 3
John: Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys (Week 4)
I’m not high on the Cowboys’ championship hopes this year, but that rarely matters when it comes to TV tune-in for that team. And with this game in week four, there’s the extra benefit of the eventual Dallas letdown not being obvious yet for primetime audiences.
Tyler: Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 8)
A mid-season Monday Night Football matchup between two of the league’s most electrifying quarterbacks, this juggernaut clash between Patrick Mahomes and Daniels could rival the historic 2018 offensive shootout for ESPN/ABC between the Rams and Chiefs.
Joey: Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles (Week 11)
What a matchup that many believed would be the NFC Championship matchup last season. The Lions’ juggernaut offense versus the Eagles’ stonewall defense in a Sunday Night showdown? I expect points, and lots of them. So sign me up.
Round 4
Joey: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders (Week 16)
You guys didn’t think I’d go my second back to back picks without taking one Commanders game, did you? As a Commanders fan, I can’t believe this game fell. Super Bowl Champs face their in-division rival for the first time in week 16 for a standalone Saturday game. With playoff expectations for both teams, and this being the first of two matchups in the span of three weeks, I expect high stakes and even higher viewership.
Tyler: Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders (Week 6)
Going against my better judgment, I’m taking this Week 6 Monday Night Football game, which is part of a rare doubleheader — running opposite a less competitive Bills/Falcons game. This contest, on the other hand, has everything TV wants: First-year head coach Ben Johnson’s offense, a former No. 1 (Caleb Williams) vs. No. 2 (Daniels) draft pick battle, and early-season bragging rights on the line.
John: Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 8)
Much to Adam Silver’s chagrin, I’m taking Packers/Steelers on SNF here, in a game that will draw eyeballs no matter who’s playing or what the records are – but could net even more just because of the Aaron Rodgers factor as he takes on his original team.
Round 5
John: Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 14)
The upside of this one depends on whether you believe in the Texans’ trajectory or not. But there are good odds this playoff rematch is between two of the AFC’s top squads, with the extra juice of restless football fans looking for something to watch after what’s usually a pretty tame college football championship weekend.
Tyler: Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles (Week 13)
Dipping back into the holiday schedule, I’m opting for the exclusive Black Friday game on Amazon Prime. Now in its third year, I’d argue this is the first true marquee matchup it’s had, and I expect the anticipation to be real. The big question is whether Amazon can capture the shopping crowd and get them to tune in to a game that kicks off in the middle of the day.
Joey: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (Week 16)
In their second matchup in three weeks, the Packers head to Chicago in what is always a highly contested game between two of the league’s oldest franchises. The Bears are looking to compete for a playoff spot behind large additions and a new coaching staff. A standalone Saturday game with these credentials should bring in a marquee late-season audience.
Round 6
Joey: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (Week 9)
With my first pick that is neither a primetime nor a standalone game, it’s one of the biggest regular season games every year: Chiefs vs. Bills. The Bills trying to get over the hump vs the team that’s dominated them in the playoffs, Allen vs Mahomes, Swift vs Steinfeld, in the 4 p.m. slot on a Sunday. I was planning to stay away from the afternoon games, but with this matchup only going up against Jaguars/Raiders and Rams/Saints, I can’t imagine there will a single TV out there that doesn’t feature this game… Red Zone might even show the commercials just so they don’t have to flip.
Tyler: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (Week 16)
As a Seahawks fan, I couldn’t let them stay off the board much longer. A late December game in Seattle against the Rams is bound to be a battle: Mike Macdonald’s defense vs. Sean McVay’s offense, a Cooper Kupp reunion, Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on the call, and a possible divisional title on the line. I’ll be waiting all season for this one.
John: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 6)
No matter what happens to these two teams early in the season, it’s a SNF matchup between squads that won a combined 30 regular season games last year. And if one team looks questionable, the primetime game will draw in viewers for the potential car crash alone.
Round 7
John: Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 4)
Last year’s season-opener between the Chiefs and Ravens was an all-time classic. And even without the primetime audience in this slot, this could be a late afternoon gem spotlighting one of the league’s best recent rivalries and two of its top talents (Mahomes, Jackson).
Tyler: Denver Broncos at Washington Commanders (Week 13)
The 2024 NFL Draft truly delivered an all-time quarterback class, and we’re getting another primetime matchup featuring two sophomore QBs looking to take the next step in their careers. This time, it’s the Broncos and Bo Nix and the Broncos on the road against Daniels and the Commanders. NBC scores another potential winner between two of the league's brightest young stars.
Joey: Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers (Week 10)
This should not be a surprise anymore, NFC East vs NFC North in primetime. This time on Monday Night Football, we see if Jordan Love can take a step against the Eagles. Big market (Philly), plus big fan base (Packers), plus big playoff implications equals big audience.
Round 8
Joey: Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens (Week 13)
Making their first appearance in this draft… one of last year’s more fun teams, the Bengals! Somehow, this Thanksgiving night-cap is still on the board despite it being a holiday game featuring Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Lamar. No better way to enter a food coma than watching some of the most electric players in the league light up the scoreboard on NBC.
Tyler: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (Week 1)
There are still some great value picks here in the late rounds, but I kept coming back to this marquee Week 1 matchup in São Paulo, Brazil. The Chiefs will be out for retribution after last year’s blowout Super Bowl loss, while the Chargers are looking to take a leap in Jim Harbaugh’s second season as head coach. Being the only game on TV will help, but either way, there will be plenty of eyeballs tuning in for this free streaming event.
John: Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants (Week 3)
Do I think the Giants will be good? Most certainly not. But the Chiefs have a habit of playing with their food early in the year, the Giants still pull from the country’s largest media market. That, plus Sunday night, will matter if we’re just trying to see which games draw the most viewers.
Round 9
John: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams (Week 12)
Two of the NFC’s most consistently good teams in recent years, in primetime in L.A., with potential seeding tiebreakers in play. This has shootout potential even without a true “marquee” franchise playing, which should draw eyeballs – especially during a typically lackluster weekend (pre-rivalry week) for college football.
Tyler: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (Week 17)
I was close to taking Chiefs/Broncos here, but I think this matchup will carry more divisional implications by this point in the season. While Netflix likely won’t be hurting for viewers on any of the Christmas Day games, this heavyweight bout between the Lions and first-year starter J.J. McCarthy could end up deciding playoff seeding in a highly competitive NFC North.
Joey: Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (Week 17)
There is a bit of risk since both of these teams might be locked into their playoff positioning at this point, but I’m banking on them both competing for a division title and/or the No. 1 overall seed. At its peak, this is a possible Super Bowl preview in the 4:25 p.m. slot, which should draw a large audience with Tony Romo and Jim Nantz on the call.
Round 10
Joey: Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions (Week 10)
I had to sneak the Commanders in one more before we were done! The Lions will look to get revenge from last year’s playoff blowout, while the Commanders try to show they’re not fluke. It also doesn’t hurt this will only be going up against NFC West matchups that afternoon, which while interesting, do not have the same national draw as this matchup.
Tyler: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 17)
Well, this exercise is about drafting the games that will draw the most viewers - and that’s exactly what happens when you collect all the Netflix Infinity Stones (Christmas Day matchups). The streaming powerhouse is sure to bring in massive numbers, and even though this was my third Christmas Day pick, I still expect it to rank among the top 20 most-watched games of the year.
John: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (Week 1)
I didn’t have a week one game yet, and this Monday nighter between the new-look Vikings and new-look Bears seemed like the best option left on the board. The NFC North game will grab casuals, both teams have question marks, and week one’s always a major draw, regardless of the day of the week.
