On Opening Sunday of the NFL season, fans didn’t just stay home and watch, they listened, on the go, in their cars, through their local radio stations.
Whether listeners were tailgating outside the stadium, running Sunday errands, or driving home after the game, this weekend’s results confirm not only that the vehicle dashboard remains the front row for live local sports coverage, but that live football broadcasts supercharge AM/FM radio listening — before, during and after the game ends.
To measure football’s impact on radio listening, the DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal analyzed real-time connected-car data from flagship radio stations carrying live game coverage of 12 NFL teams during Opening Sunday on September 13, 2026.
The numbers: Sunday surges across flagship stations
Looking at the aggregated audience trends across 12 NFL teams’ local flagship radio stations, Opening Sunday game listening delivered significant lifts across every key metric:
- Sunday share surge: Flagship stations experienced about an average 60% increase in overall Sunday audience share compared to previous weeks.
- Pre-game build-up: Fans tuned in early, driving an average 111% audience increase heading into kickoff.
- Post-game loyalty: Listening didn’t stop at the completion of the final play. Stations saw an average 152% increase after the game as drivers stayed tuned for highlights, locker-room reactions, and post-game analysis.
Market spotlights: Fans stick to local radio
The market-level numbers show how closely fan bases are tied to their local flagship stations:
- Buffalo, NY: The Bills ‘Mafia’ showed up in full force. The flagship station experienced a 265% increase in share, paired with roughly 400% audience growth heading into kickoff that was sustained through post-game coverage.
- Nashville, TN: Music City rallied behind the Tennessee Titans in their week one debut on Sunday, increasing their average Sunday share by 102%. Listening jumped 160% heading into the game and by 215% for the post-game analysis.
- Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Cardinals fans, aka ‘The Red Sea,’ remained glued to their dashboards all game day, generating a 78% lift in their average Sunday share, an 87% audience surge leading into the matchup, and post-game, a 258% jump in listening.
DTS AutoStage delivers speed and precision
This is just one radio story that DTS AutoStage can bring to broadcasters to help them understand, in near real-time, what is really going on with their listening audience. By delivering granular, connected-car insights as they happen, DTS AutoStage is bringing change to radio measurements.
- Near real-time validation: Broadcasters can see immediate spikes tied to specific moments, from kickoff to halftime adjustments to a fourth quarter comeback to post-game coverage, and adapt programming while it still matters.
- Actionable advertiser insights: Brands and media buyers no longer have to wait to evaluate their spend. Real-time in-dash data demonstrates the immediate surge in high-value, captive audiences surrounding live sporting events.
- The staying power of AM/FM radio: Even with a dashboard full of infotainment options, drivers keep returning to broadcast radio for live local sports coverage, familiar voices, and a shared community experience.
The bottom line
NFL’s Opening Sunday confirmed that live football coverage is one of the most powerful programming anchors in media. With DTS AutoStage’s Broadcaster Portal, the industry has the real-time capability to measure and show the immediate pull of broadcast radio inside the modern vehicle dashboard.
