The Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs drew the NFL’s largest national audiences through the first three national television windows of the 2026 season, averaging roughly 26 million and 25 million viewers per telecast, respectively. But national audience size is not the same as growth in a team’s home market. On that measure, neither Dallas nor Kansas City leads the way. The Los Angeles Rams are seeing the sharpest rise in local viewership.
Nielsen’s local-market television ratings show that Rams viewership in Los Angeles is up 86% so far this season. The Las Vegas Raiders rank second among the fastest-growing teams, with a 34% increase. The gap between the two clubs is substantial: the Rams’ reported rise is more than twice the Raiders’ gain.
Exact growth figures for Dallas, Kansas City, and Buffalo were not included in the comparison, which listed only the two biggest increases. Even so, the distance between Los Angeles and Las Vegas indicates that the league’s established ratings leaders are not matching the Rams’ pace. Teams such as the Chiefs and Bills also have a different starting point: they already attract strong loyalty in their smaller home markets, leaving less room for a dramatic percentage increase.
## Why a large ratings jump can come from a smaller fan base
The Rams’ viewership growth may seem at odds with a separate measure of NFL fandom in Los Angeles. The NFL Fandom Index from Nielsen Scarborough, released in August, does not measure television ratings. Instead, it considers activities such as buying team apparel, attending games, watching or streaming, listening, and following a team on social media.
By that measure, 24% of adults in the Los Angeles market had watched, streamed, attended, listened to, or followed the Rams during the previous year. That leaves roughly 11 million adults in the market without a connection to the team. In contrast, smaller markets including Buffalo, Kansas City, and Green Bay ranked among the leaders on the index.
These figures reflect different ways of measuring interest, rather than necessarily contradicting one another. A team can have a relatively small share of the local population engaged with it while still recording a large increase in television viewing. When the starting audience is limited, gaining even a modest number of new viewers can produce a striking percentage rise.
Los Angeles is also a vast market, with roughly 14 million adults. If a few hundred thousand people who previously watched only occasionally become regular Sunday viewers, the change can have a substantial effect on local ratings. In that context, the Rams’ 86% increase reflects rapid growth from a comparatively small base—not necessarily the highest overall level of local fandom.
## Winning and star power have helped attract attention
The Rams entered the season amid considerable preseason interest. They were August favorites for the Lombardi Trophy, and the presence of prominent players such as Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams, and Myles Garrett gave local fans additional reasons to follow the team.
Their recent results have added to that momentum. On Sunday, November 8, Los Angeles defeated the Washington Commanders 20–13, extending its winning streak to three games and moving above .500 for the first time this season. Garrett made a strong impact in his return, recording three sacks. Stafford completed 26 of 43 passes for 219 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
However, the Rams’ promising run comes with significant injury concerns. Losing Nacua is a major setback, while Adams is already sidelined with a hamstring injury. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum have run well enough to shoulder part of the offensive workload, and Stafford will look to Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, and CJ Daniels for help. Tight end Tyler Higbee could also receive a substantial share of the targets, although he missed Thursday’s practice because of an illness.
## A familiar opponent is next
The Rams travel to Glendale to face the Arizona Cardinals, who are 3–6 and sit last in the NFC West after losing two of their last three games. Los Angeles is tied with Seattle for second place in the division, but the standings offer no guarantee of an easy matchup. Arizona beat the Rams 18–16 at SoFi Stadium on October 18.
The Cardinals are averaging 19.8 points per game and allowing 28.3. Those numbers suggest vulnerabilities, but their earlier win over Los Angeles is a reminder that the Rams cannot take the game for granted.
Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS. The broadcast will reach only eight markets, covering about 8% of U.S. homes. The listed markets include Los Angeles on KCBS 2, Phoenix on KPHO 5, San Diego on KFMB 8, and Tucson on KOLD 13. In other areas, CBS will carry a different game, meaning viewers outside the Rams broadcast region will need NFL Sunday Ticket to watch.
The Rams’ three-game winning streak has helped drive attention in Los Angeles, but the challenges ahead will test whether that momentum can continue. Turning their strong ratings growth into a sustained playoff push could be an even clearer measure of how firmly the team is connecting with the city.
