As usual, the NFL drew impressively high ratings for their Thursday Thanksgiving games.
According to Showbuzz Daily (h/t Sports Media Watch) the first game between the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions on CBS averaged 23.39 million viewers.
Despite the strong viewership, Sports Media Watch noted that the Lions-Texans contest was "the least-watched Thanksgiving afternoon game since 2009." That game, featuring the Lions and Green Bay Packers, averaged 21.99 million viewers.
The ratings were significantly higher for the second game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team on FOX. Per Sports Media Watch, the contest averaged 30.33 million viewers and a 12.0 rating.
This was also the most-watched TV program since Super Bowl LV between the San Francisco and Kansas City Chiefs back on Feb. 2, which was also broadcast on FOX.
The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers were scheduled to face off in the evening game on NBC. However, that game was postponed after the Ravens experienced a COVID-19 outbreak.
The schedule was adjusted several times, but the league finally settled on a Wednesday contest at 3:40 p.m. EST.
As a result of the rescheduled date, the Ravens-Cowboys Week 13 Thursday Night Football tilt was moved back to next Tuesday. Pittsburgh's home game against Washington - initially scheduled to take place this Sunday - was moved to Monday.
The Texans soundly defeated the Lions by a final score of 41-25. Two days later, the Lions fired head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn as the team prepares for a third consecutive losing and non-playoff season.
In the second game, Washington cruised to a 41-16 victory over their NFC East rivals, thanks to three touchdowns from rookie running back Antonio Gibson. With the victory, Washington pulled off its first season sweep of Dallas since the 2012 season, when they won the division with a 10-6 record. They're now 4-7 on the year, while the Cowboys fell to 3-8.