NFL Hall of Fame Game Viewership Revealed After Haynes King, Pickett, Panthers vs. Beck, Cardinals

The NFL broadcasting season is off to a strong start.

NBC released the viewership numbers from Thursday's Hall of Fame Game between the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers (who started Kenny Pickett), with the game setting a nine-year high:

It didn't hurt that rookie quarterback Carson Beck balled out (15-of-19 for 188 yards and a touchdown) or that Haynes King led a dramatic final drive, capped off by a five-yard touchdown run on the final play of the game.

Preseason games are often an afterthought and mostly relevant for the players on the fringes of the depth chart battling for a place on the final roster. But the return of football this season was particularly compelling.