Eagles-Cowboys Set for Thanksgiving Day: NFL's Bet to Smash Record Ratings
PHILADELPHIA - Clear the holiday schedule.
It wasn't exactly a surprise but FOX dropped the marquee NFL Thanksgiving Day matchup with the help of Tom Brady at its annual upfronts Monday, revealing that the most obvious matchup to top last year's ratings record fueled by Nielsen's wonky methodology change.
It will be the two-time reigning NFC champion Eagles visiting North Texas to take on the Cowboys in the 4:30 ET ratings bonanza window.
The 2025 Thanksgiving Day matchups averaged a massive 44.7 million viewers across the three games - the highest ever - capped by the Chiefs-Cowboys afternoon matchup pulling in a staggering 57.2 million on CBS, the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history.
A Potential Record-Breaker
FOX Sports' Thanksgiving table is officially set! @NFLONFOX features a classic NFC showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at 4:30 PM ET on FOX pic.twitter.com/QCiNC6Qp3G
- FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) May 11, 2026
Those Nielsen numbers didn't just break records; they obliterated them. For years the NFL believed it was being undercounted in Nielsen's ratings and the transition to "Big Date + Panel" methodology in September of 2025 to better capture streaming numbers has ignited an explosion for live sports.
Whether the shift from panel-only numbers is funny money in Nielsen currency or an indication the old numbers were essentially worthless is up for debate. What isn't is that the NFL wants to keep the new optics alive whether its perception or reality.
Either way the goal is to beat last year's 57.2M number and the Eagles-Cowboys matchup is the only one with the kind of cachet to reach that rarified air.
Both teams have to stay relevant, of course, and you can't legislate injuries. If it's Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott leading the two teams battling for the NFC East, the league might touch 60 million. If Tanner McKee is headlining the Eagles or ex-Eagles Sam Howell is leading the Cowboys due to circumstance, that could derail things quickly.
The schedule-makers are just like in-game play-callers. They are making the best bet possible with the information at their disposal.
The league believes in the Eagles as a consistent ratings draw. This decade, Philadelphia has been used for prime-time appearance after prime-time appearance - multiple years with five or more, often leading the NFC in visibility. This season with be no different.
In this century, the Eagles are No. 2 in prime-time appearances behind only the Cowboys.
Philadelphia visiting Dallas on Thanksgiving Day after last year's ratings spike is not accidental. When the league wants eyeballs, they turn to teams that deliver drama, star power, and consistent competitiveness, and the Eagles check every box.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/eagles/onsi as Eagles-Cowboys Set for Thanksgiving Day: NFL's Bet to Smash Record Ratings .
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 2:00 PM.