Fox is setting its sights on NFL history this Thanksgiving, and they're banking on one of the league's fiercest rivalries to get them there.
The network announced during its upfront presentation in New York that the Philadelphia Eagles will face the Dallas Cowboys in the late-afternoon slot on Thanksgiving Day 2026. This classic NFC East showdown isn't just about tradition—it's a calculated play to shatter the NFL's regular-season viewership record.
Last year, the Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving matchup on CBS drew a staggering 57.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular-season game in league history. That jaw-dropping number has executives and league officials wondering if there's any ceiling left for America's holiday football tradition.
While the Eagles may not quite match the star power of the Chiefs—Kansas City dominated four of the top five most-watched games in 2025—Philadelphia is coming off a Super Bowl LIX victory that keeps them firmly in the national spotlight. The NFL has been aggressively transforming its holiday games into can't-miss events, and this matchup fits that strategy perfectly.
Fox might also get a boost from expanded audience measurement. A recent pilot program by Nielsen, which refined how it counts co-viewing within households, found a 4.2% lift in viewership during major February events, including Super Bowl LX. This follows other Nielsen upgrades like the Big Data + Panel process and broader out-of-home audience tracking.
But numbers aside, the late-afternoon Thanksgiving game has long been the crown jewel of the regular-season schedule. For the Eagles, this will be their eighth Thanksgiving appearance and their first in Dallas since 2014—adding extra spice to an already red-hot rivalry.
The Thanksgiving announcement is just one piece of the puzzle as NFL rights holders gear up for the full schedule release on Thursday. NBC kicked things off by revealing that the Cowboys and Giants will open Sunday Night Football, continuing the NFC East theme.
Fox also secured rights to two additional NFL games for the 2026 season earlier Monday, signaling their continued commitment to expanding their football portfolio. For fans and apparel enthusiasts alike, this Thanksgiving matchup promises to be a gridiron spectacle worth marking on your calendar—and stocking up on your team's gear for.