Dolly Parton viewership sums up CBS announcer Tony Romo and Paige Spiranac's reactions
Dolly Parton delighted the crowd at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving and her performance played its part in enormous viewing figures.
Former Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo and influencer Paige Spiranac were among many people to lavish praise on Dolly Parton as she wowed the crowd at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving. And their reactions were justified with enormous viewing figures, with Parton playing her part in making the Cowboys win over the Washington Commanders the second-most-watched TV show of 2023, behind only the Super Bowl.
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Donning a Cowboys cheerleader’s outfit, Parton performed a seven-minute medley including iconic hits “Jolene” and “9 to 5” before delighting the crowd with covers of Queen’s “We Are The Champions” and “We Will Rock You”, with CBS color commentator Romo telling broadcast partner Jim Nantz: “She looks amazing, right? She's wonderful. Who doesn't like Dolly Parton?"
“She’s absolutely an American treasure,” Nantz replied, while model Spirinac posted to her 1,000,000 X followers: “Dolly Parton is 77 and wearing whatever the hell she wants. I love her.”
FOX Sports pundit Skip Bayless, an avid Cowboys fan and the face of debate show “Undisputed”, chimed in: “How bout that Dolly Parton? Talk about dressing for the occasion. Now that is impressive.”
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The viewing figures for the CBS broadcast have since been released, with the Cowboys’ 45-10 victory becoming ranking third all-time for NFL regular season game viewership. The 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff had an average of 41.4 million viewers, peaking at 44.3 million.
And country music icon Parton certainly played her part in bringing a diverse audience to the broadcast with an ageless performance on the stage of songs that have transcended generations delighting people of all ages spending the holiday watching the NFL.
Only the Cowboys’ duel with the New York Giants on Thanksgiving in 2022 (42.1 million) and a 1990 clash between the Giants and the San Francisco 49ers (41.6 million) had larger average audiences than the Cowboys’ blowout win against the Commanders.
Parton’s performance was in aid of The Salvation Army, launching its Red Kettle fundraising campaign for Americans in need. She said: “When you drop a dollar in that red kettle, you can make a difference for the families that are struggling to put food on the table or the single parent that can’t make rent this month. Show your neighbors in need love beyond the holidays.”
Parton was criticized by some viewers on social media for her choice of outfit, but her legion of fans was quick to defend the Tennessee native. “If there’s one thing we can count on in this world, it’s that Dolly is going to give iconic looks and performances until the moment she ascends to heaven,” one admirer posted on X.
Another added: “Dolly Parton looks better at 77 than I have in my entire life.”
