DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys haven't even played a snap in the 2022 regular season, and they are already among the most watched television events for the year.
According to SportsMediaWatch.com, NFL games comprised the first 22 of their 50 most-watched television programs for 2022. Of those upper 22, the Cowboys had games at Nos. 5, 12, and 17.
The most-watched Cowboys game was the NFC wild-card on Jan. 16 against the San Francisco 49ers that Dallas lost 23-17 at AT&T Stadium. The opening round playoff game earned a 20.7 rating and had 41.50 million viewers across CBS and Nickelodeon.
The headlines from the game continued despite the Cowboys' loss due to quarterback Dak Prescott's puzzling draw with 14 seconds remaining, his awkward remarks about the officials postgame, and the impending but not realized dissolution of head coach Mike McCarthy's staff.
The second-most watched Dallas game was the Week 17 encounter with the Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 2. With positioning as the No. 1 seed in the NFC on the line, the Cowboys let an opportunity for home-field advantage slip away with a 25-22 defeat.
The game also featured former Allen Eagle and Oklahoma Sooner signal caller Kyler Murray getting his second win as a pro at AT&T Stadium, a venue he has never sustained defeat at any level of his career. The game earned a 13.8 million rating and a total of 26.79 million tuned in to FOX to watch the contest.
The third game on the list for the Cowboys was Week 18 at the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the Eagles taking a 7-0 lead behind backup Gardner Minshew as Philadelphia rested its first team, the Cowboys' first team started racking up points.
Dallas secured the sweep and its first full division sweep since 1998 with a 51-26 win at Lincoln Financial Field. The ESPN Monday Night Football season finale turned in a 10.6 rating with 20.21 million watching across ESPN and ABC.
Whether the Cowboys were winning or losing, sports fans were tuned in to witness their fate during January.
Championships reigned supreme on the list, of course. Super Bowl 56 between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium topped the list with 99.18 million watching NBC's coverage, a 36.9 rating. The NFC Championship Game between the 49ers and Rams garnered a 23.4 rating with 50.23 million tuning in on FOX. CBS's coverage of the AFC Championship Game between the Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs had a 23.6 rating with 47.85 million watching.
Do you think the Cowboys will land on the most viewed lists during the 2022 season? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.