The first game of the NFL season is in the books and the league is likely happy about how many people tuned in for the start of its 100th season.
John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that the overnight rating for Thursday night’s game was around a 15.3, which is up 14-15 percent from last season. The Eagles beat the Falcons 18-12 to open the 2018 season.
Ourand also notes that the rating spike was even higher in a couple of markets where sports betting has been legalized and people are able to bet on mobile devices during games. Pittsburgh saw a 23 percent rise and Providence was up 36 percent.
Those two markets will have particular interest in Sunday night’s game between the Steelers and Patriots, so the league may be getting more good ratings news throughout the opening weekend.