Sunday afternoon's Week 3 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys smashed through a viewership record with a thrilling game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dallas had a late-game drive that ended in a field goal to tie it 31-31, but they left seven seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter. With that, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens got to work and used every last second to stage a 34-31 victory.
After Jackson threw a 38-yard pass to Zay Flowers, the Ravens immediately called a timeout with one second remaining. That set up kicker Tyler Loop to connect on a 56-yard game-winner, with the Ravens celebrating the exciting finish on the field. Many people watched the game and the exciting outcome unfold.
The game officially became the most-watched NFL International Game, with 24.904 million viewers viewing the matchup on CBS and a peak viewership of 30 million, per CBS Sports PR. More news: ESPN Analyst Makes Bold Lamar Jackson Prediction After Just 3 Games In addition, it was the most-watched Week 3 game since 2014, and up 5% from last year's comparable game. According to CBS Sports PR, last year was a record-setting season for the NFL on CBS.
However, so far this year, NFL on CBS is averaging 19.005 million viewers, which is up 6% from last season. Ahead of that game, CBS showcased another exciting regional matchup with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals taking on Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the impressive numbers for the Ravens and Cowboys game seemingly connected to it being hosted in Brazil, some commenters believed it had more to do with the matchup and players involved.
"Did it really matter where this game was played the viewership would have been the same or more," one commenter replied to CBS Sports PR on X. Others wrote, "Everyone tuned in to watch the face of the league" and "Just an fyi, it had nothing to do with the venue!" They may have been referring to Lamar Jackson, who some believe looks like an early contender for Most Valuable Player. So far, he's led the Ravens to a 2-1 record, with 745 yards and four touchdowns, and has an 82.2 QBR.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are also immensely popular, but have struggled to a 1-2 record. They lost their Week 1 matchup to the New York Giants, 28-20, but finally achieved their first win of the season in Week 2, 37-20 over the Washington Commanders. More news: Rams Urged to Make Major WR Trade Amid Puka Nacua Injury For more about the NFL, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
