The Detroit Lions Were The Most-Watched NFL Team In The 2024 Season

Published|Updated

The Detroit Lions are giving the Dallas Cowboys some serious competition for the designation of "America’s Team."

Dallas remains one of the most iconic sports brands, not just in the NFL, but the entire world. However, they’ve been wallowing in mediocrity for the past several years and have only won four playoff games in the past 20 years. To be fair, they are still popular and put up huge TV ratings, but its surprising given that they aren’t a very successful team.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 5: Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions runs onto the field prior to an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field on January 5, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

On the flip side, the Detroit Lions are now one of the more elite teams in the NFL. Yes, the team that has the inglorious distinction of having only one of th two 0-16 seasons in NFL history is now a heavyweight in the league. Because of the insane turnaround the franchise has received - essentially going from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs - they have gripped the attention of America on a weekly basis.

So much so, in fact, that the Lions - not the Cowboys - were the most-watched team this past year. Surprisingly, this is the second time in three years the Lions have gotten that honor.

Sure, appearing in 10 nationally televised games helps that cause, but it's showing a shift in who America finds to be the best team to watch. Thanks in large part to the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions are now must-see TV.

It’s also fitting that Campbell is the man behind this turnaround, given that his last year as a player was with the Lions during that winless season - when not many people cared to watch that team.

The Lions’ season continues Saturday night at 8 p.m. when they host the Washington Commanders in a Divisional Round matchup. You can bet that there will be plenty more fans watching that game featuring America's new favorite team.

Tags
Written by
John Simmons graduated from Liberty University hoping to become a sports journalist. He’s lived his dream while working for the Media Research Center and can’t wait to do more in this field with Outkick. He could bore you to death with his knowledge of professional ultimate frisbee, and his one life goal is to find Middle Earth and start a homestead in the Shire. He’s still working on how to make that happen.