Donald Trump apparently wasn’t too worried about missing the start of the NFL season.
While the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks kicked off the 2026 NFL season Wednesday night, Trump was speaking at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.
The next morning, Trump claimed his event had actually beaten the NFL in overall viewership.
“The overall numbers beat the NFL,” Trump wrote on Truth Social while describing the convention as a major success.
There’s just one problem.
Early Nielsen data showed Trump’s speech averaged roughly 2.5 million viewers on Fox News. Complete ratings for Patriots-Seahawks weren’t immediately available, but NFL games averaged around 18 million viewers last season, while the 2025 season opener approached 28 million.
Trump certainly didn’t miss an offensive shootout, either.
Seattle beat New England 13-10 in an ugly opener that featured injuries to A.J. Brown and Sam Darnold and a rough performance from Drake Maye.
Whether Trump’s event actually came anywhere close to beating the NFL remains another question.
But one thing is clear:
Even the President is competing with the NFL for ratings now.
