LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders may have lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but the rest of the NFL was apparently watching. CBS announced that its late-afternoon Sunday window averaged 28.448 million viewers, making it the most-watched NFL broadcast of the 2026 season to date.
The window consisted primarily of the Chiefs’ 30-27 victory over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, with some markets receiving the San Francisco 49ers-Denver Broncos matchup.
According to CBS, the audience also made the broadcast the most-watched Week 4 NFL game in network history, though historical comparisons come with the caveat that television measurement particularly out-of-home viewing has changed over time.
Still, nearly 28.5 million viewers tuning into the window reinforces something the NFL has understood for years. Patrick Mahomes draws an audience. But a competitive Raiders team does, too.
A Good Raiders Team Is Good for the NFL
The Chiefs have become one of the NFL’s premier television attractions during the Mahomes era. That’s established. But Sunday’s ratings also demonstrated the potential of the Raiders when they’re relevant.
The Silver and Black have a national fan base, an iconic brand, a market in Las Vegas and one of football’s most recognizable rivalries with Kansas City. What has frequently been missing is winning.
A competitive Raiders team changes the equation. If Las Vegas can remain in the AFC playoff race and challenge Kansas City inside the AFC West, Raiders-Chiefs becomes more than a rivalry built on history.
It becomes meaningful again. Sunday provided a glimpse of what that looks like. The Raiders lost their undefeated record. But with 28.448 million viewers watching CBS’ late window, Las Vegas also helped produce the NFL’s biggest television audience of the season. The Raiders are relevant again and apparently, America is watching.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
