STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Fans eagerly welcomed the NFL’s return on Thursday night.

The regular-season opener between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers on NBC was watched by 26.9 million viewers, an increase of 7 percent from last year, when Baltimore played at Denver.

The Seahawks’ 36-16 win was the third-most watched Thursday night kickoff game in the 13-year history of the event.

The game had a national household rating of 15.5/26.

Ratings represent the percentage of homes with televisions tuned to a program.

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