Quarterback Aaron Rodgers gestures to the camera following the Steelers' 24-21 win over the Vikings at Croke Park. James Crombie/INPHO

Landmark Dublin game draws huge audience on NFL Network

Average of almost 8m – which doesn’t include viewers in local markets – is second largest for an NFL international game.

THE FIRST EVER NFL regular-season game to take place in Ireland earned an average of 7.9 million viewers on NFL Network, with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 24-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings becoming the broadcaster’s second-most-watched international game ever.

The 7.9m figure across TV and digital marked an increase of 68% on the average audience for the 2024 NFL international games in London (x3), Sao Paulo and Munich.

Collated by Nielsen, the 7.9 million average audience for last Sunday’s Dublin fixture does not include free-to-air viewers in Pittsburgh and Minnesota, nor does it include those who tuned into the game on Virgin Media or Sky Sports in Ireland and the UK.

The Steelers-Vikings matchup at Croke Park drew the NFL Network’s second-largest-ever audience for an international game, behind only the Frankfurt meeting of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins on Week 9 of the 2023 season.

The final minutes at GAA HQ saw the number of viewers on NFL Network increase to 9 million as the Vikings attempted to stage an unlikely comeback.

Victory for the Steelers saw Mike Tomlin’s side improve their record to 3-1 for the year, with Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings dropping to 2-2.

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