NFL Teams That Play on Thanksgiving Every Year
The NFL features a fixed set of teams on Thanksgiving Day as part of its annual schedule. The Detroit Lions host a game every Thanksgiving, a tradition that started in 1934, and the Dallas Cowboys have hosted annually since 1966, with a few exceptions for special events. These two teams anchor the triple-header format that the league uses to drive viewership and ad revenue each season Forbes.
The third Thanksgiving game rotates among other AFC and NFC teams, with the league selecting matchups based on competitive balance, marquee player storylines, and regional interest. The NFL announces the full slate as part of its regular-season schedule release, typically in the spring, and the rotation ensures that different franchises appear on the holiday while preserving the Lions and Cowboys as permanent hosts nfl.com.
TV Networks and Streaming Platforms That Air Thanksgiving Games
CBS and NBC have long split the Thanksgiving triple-header, with CBS airing the early afternoon game and NBC carrying the late afternoon and evening contests, a structure that maximizes national advertising inventory across both networks nbc.com.
In recent seasons, Amazon Prime Video has entered the Thanksgiving lineup by streaming one of the late games as part of its NFL Thursday Night Football deal, adding a digital-first option alongside traditional broadcast and cable coverage. This multi-platform approach expands the audience and gives the league additional data on streaming viewership for ad pricing and programming decisions Forbes.
Viewership Numbers, Ratings, and Ad Revenue Impact
Thanksgiving Day NFL games consistently rank among the most-watched broadcasts of the year, with the triple-header drawing tens of millions of viewers across CBS, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video in the United States. The Lions-Cowboys early game often leads in total viewers, while the late afternoon and evening matchups compete for top ratings in the key adult demographic nielsen.com.
Ad Pricing and Commercial Performance
Networks charge premium rates for Thanksgiving ad slots, with 30-second spots during the marquee games often selling for several million dollars, reflecting the holiday's concentrated family audience and high engagement. Advertisers favor the day for product launches and holiday campaigns because the combined broadcast and streaming reach delivers broad demographic exposure and strong recall nielsen.com.