The ever-popular Premier League continues to grow, breaking viewership records for the opening weekend of the 2025–26 campaign after being headlined by one of the biggest rivalries in England.
NBC put out a press release citing this past weekend as the most-watched opening weekend in the U.S. ever, per Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. Opening weekend averaged 850,000 viewers in Total Audience Delivery across six matches in the NBCUniversal family (NBC, Peacock, USA Network, NBC Sports Digital), eclipsing the record set the year prior at 820,000.
On top of that, Manchester United vs. Arsenal was the most-watched opening weekend game in U.S. history averaging two million viewers. The spotlight fixture of the weekend was also the second most-watched Premier League game in the U.S. ever, behind only Manchester City vs. Arsenal on Mar. 31, 2024 (2.1 million viewers).
“Including Telemundo’s coverage of Manchester United-Arsenal, the match delivered a TAD of 2.3 million viewers to stand as the second most-watched match on record, including Spanish-language viewership (Manchester City-Arsenal, 2.6 million on 3/31/24),” NBC said.
For those who may or may not remember, Man City vs. Arsenal was a pivotal game in the 2023–24 title race. The two sides battled to a goalless draw at Ethiad Stadium. A stark contrast from the prior meeting at Man City’s ground on the way to erasing an eight point lead in the 2022–23 season. It was the first time in 58 games that Pep Guardiola’s failed to score at home.
Ironically, this past weekend’s showdown between the Gunners and Red Devils was a similar defensive showcase, with the only goal coming from a set piece in the 13th minute. Still, the star power, the clubs, and players alone helped make it one of the most viewed Premier League games in history, speaking to the popularity of the league and sport currently.
The Premier League resumes on Friday, Aug. 22 when West Ham United host Chelsea.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Premier League Opening Weekend Smashes U.S. Viewership Records, Man Utd vs. Arsenal Headlines.
