It all started in May when the NFL moved the Jets from a matinee darling to a primetime act in 2023. Awarded five primetime games and the league's first Black Friday game, the Jets set off on a different gameday flight plan.
That new plan first came to life at MetLife Stadium in Week 1, on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, and Aaron Rodgers making his Jets debut on Monday Night Football against Josh Allen and the Bills. Fireworks plus a laser-light show, Pixmob LED wristbands synchronized with music in the stadium bowl, a "Get In? Before It Begins" campaign and Method Man introducing the starting Jets lineup to a packed house. The electric gameday atmosphere made for a charged night and set the tone for the season's first quarter.
Under the direction of ownership and team president Hymie Elhai, the Jets wanted to give their fans a high-quality product that they can be proud of and connect with. That's across the board in every aspect of the organization but nowhere has that been more evident than gameday at MetLife Stadium.
The Jets staged a dramatic second-half rally against the Bills before rookie Xavier Gipson's walk-off 65-yard punt return in overtime. More than 22.6 million viewers watched the Jets' 22-16 win on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, NFL+ and ESPN Deportes, making it the most-watched ESPN Monday Night Football game.
In Week 4, the Jets made their first Sunday night appearance since 2011. With the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in town, the light show and LED wristbands returned, and fans were in their seats well before kickoff. As Rodgers rooted on the Jets, the two teams played a 60-minute thriller. After spotting the Chiefs a 17-0 first-quarter lead, the Jets forced a 20-20 deadlock in front of a raucous crowd. Patrick Mahomes' late efforts with his feet spoiled one of Zach Wilson's best passing days a pro, but the feeling was that better nights and days are ahead for a Jets team on the rise. The 27 million who watched on NBC made it the most watched game since Super Bowl LVII.
Through three home games, the Jets have taken advantage of the technical ability of MetLife Stadium and created a choreographed game experience that includes coordinated and cohesive programming of four video boards, the wristbands synchronized with the music, T-shirt cannons and lights. The player introductions at the two night games have included two 100-watt lasers, five pyro technicians and one lighting programmer and operator.
With the "Get In Before It Begins" campaign, the Jets have seen incredible entry rates at kickoff — 89% vs. BUF (Week 1), 94% vs. NE (Week 3) and 91% vs. KC (Week 4). Before kickoff, fans have made their way to the Tailgate Zone presented by the U.S. Virgin Islands. Inside the Tailgate Zone, the team offers a live broadcast of Jets Pregame Central, and fans have enjoyed JetsFest, the Bud Light Backyard, live music and great activations from Jets partners Panini, Daily News, Dunkin, Ciroc and more.
In addition to the stadium gameday experience, the Jets have been featured in the NFL's top two broadcasts this season (NYJ/KC and NYJ/DAL, 25.78 million) and three of the top six (NYJ/BUF, 22.87 million). The Green & White's Week 3 contest vs. the Patriots is the 11th highest-rated game (17.72 million) and the CBS game was the highest-rated 1 p.m. game this year. In each broadcast window the Jets have appeared (Monday Night ESPN, Sunday CBS doubleheader, CBS early Sunday slot and NBC Sunday Night), their game has been the highest viewed.
Last Sunday's contest broadcast on NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital platforms, had a peak viewership of 29.4 million viewers. That number was a 22% increase from last year's Week 4 games that featured the Chiefs against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. While the Jets didn't secure the victory, the team again showcased its resiliency that will be needed over the season's final 13 games.
"It's a bunch of fighters," HC Robert Saleh said of his group. "I love the guys. I've expressed what I feel about the guys in the locker room and what we feel about who we have and the character of the locker room. There was no question that when you're backed into a corner, you swing. That's all you can do. That's a locker room that continues to swing."
Jets fans have bought in online. During September, the team's website has enjoyed a 95% year over year (YOY) growth in page views and unique visitors are also up 102% YOY on newyorkjets.com. Following the Jets-Chiefs game, more than 1 million viewers watched the team's live postgame press conferences.
