Chiefs-Raiders drew 28.4 million viewers, most-watched game of the season

Published October 6, 2026 05:02 PM Sunday’s late afternoon game on CBS was the NFL’s most-watched broadcast of the season so far.The Sunday late window, which was mostly Chiefs-Raiders but also includes the markets that had 49ers-Broncos, drew 28.448 million viewers, making it this year’s most-watched NFL game, CBS announced.CBS says it was also the most-watched Week 4 game in NFL broadcast history. (Historical numbers are not apples-to-apples comparisons, as there have been changes in how out-of-home viewers are measured.)The Chiefs have been a big ratings draw throughout the Patrick Mahomes era, and this year is no different. The Raiders’ surprising 3-0 start made their matchup with the Chiefs a particularly big game, and although the Chiefs ultimately won 30-27, the Raiders made it an exciting game and had a fourth-quarter lead. It was a game that earned its big audience.