NFL Rooting For The Dallas Cowboys In Super Bowl 2017? ‘Americas Team’ Draws Big TV Ratings

The Dallas Cowboys are having one of their best seasons in franchise history, and it couldn’t come at a better time for the NFL. During a year in which the league has seen declining television ratings, the term “America’s Team” has never been more apropos.

The league continues to see increased viewership in games that feature the Cowboys. Defeating the Minnesota Vikings in what would not exactly be described as an entertaining game on Thursday night, the Cowboys drew an overnight rating of 14.1. It was the best rating for “Thursday Night Football” in 2016 and the second-best in the program’s history.

Dallas’ national appeal was highlighted on Thanksgiving when 35.1 million viewers tuned in to see the Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins. It was the most-watched non-playoff game ever on FOX, as well as the most-watched NFL regular season game since Dallas played the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving in 1995. This year’s Thanksgiving night game between the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers drew 6.8 million fewer viewers than last year’s prime-time holiday contest.

The Cowboys have been a part of the NFL’s three most-watched games of the 2016 season, and that could result in big playoff ratings for the league. With 11 straight wins, Dallas has the NFL’s best record, and they could be headed to their first Super Bowl in 21 years.

The Super Bowl is guaranteed to draw high ratings, no matter what two teams meet in the game. Ten months ago, Super Bowl 50 became the No. 3 most-watched show in United States history, and more than 108 million viewers have watched each of the last six Super Bowls. Adding Dallas to this year's game would certainly improve the rating, likely moving it ahead of Super Bowl XLIX, which had more viewers than any event in U.S. TV history.

The Cowboys’ three Super Bowl appearances in the 1990s (1993, 1994 and 1996) were the most-watched Super Bowls of the decade. Each contest reached at least 90 million viewers, peaking with over 94 million viewers in 1996. In the middle of Dallas’ dynasty, the 1995 Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers drew just over 87 million viewers, and the 1997 Super Bowl saw the game’s rating drop from 46.0 to 43.3.

Dallas earned the nickname of “America’s Team” after the 1978 season, which marked their third Super Bowl appearance in four years. No NFL franchise has been to the Super Bowl more than the Cowboys, and their history of success has produced a legion of fans throughout the country. A Harris Poll conducted last year found the Cowboys to be the league’s most popular team, and they seem to be gaining more fans as they dominate the league in 2016.

Since losing Tony Romo—one of the NFL’s most recognizable players—in the preseason with a back injury, the Cowboys have produced two of the league’s newest stars. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and first-year running back Ezekiel Elliott are the leading candidates for NFL MVP, and they could be among the league’s most popular players for years to come.

There has been plenty of debate surrounding the potential reasons for the drop in NFL ratings this year; the presidential election, poor quality of play and concussions have all been theorized as contributing factors. But the Cowboys have been immune to any decline in ratings, and the NFL might be rooting for Dallas as much as any fan of the team.