After a season of mixed reviews, Former New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady silenced a lot of critics without taking a single snap, as his Thanksgiving broadcast for FOX smashed viewership records. Brady, since his retirement, joined FOX as a lead color commentator and was recently part of the historic 2025 Thanksgiving broadcast. Celebrating the moment, Brady shared the achievement on his Instagram story.

“LFG @foxsports @nflonfox,” Brady captioned his Instagram story.

The Green Bay Packers–Detroit Lions game set a new record with 47.7 million viewers. Veteran commentator Kevin Burkhardt was on the call in Detroit for FOX, alongside Tom Brady, whereas Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi were reporting from the sideline.

With this team, FOX set a record for the most-watched early Thanksgiving Day game on record. The clash also ended up being Fox’s most-watched regular-season game ever, a record later surpassed by the Cowboys vs Chiefs game. This Thanksgiving Day fixture also recorded the highest viewership with 57,957,000 viewers from 4:00-4:15 pm ET.

Tom Brady’s commentary still draws mixed reactions, but the tone has shifted. Initially, his reception had not been very positive, with some noting that he was lacking vocal control, while others remained frustrated about Greg Olsen’s demotion. Yet many viewers have observed a clear improvement, with a growing consensus that he is getting better. The reception is no longer overwhelmingly negative, hinting that Brady is finally settling into the role.

However, for Tom Brady, football isn’t the only sport he is helping grow as a broadcaster. The seven-time Super Bowl winner is set to be part of the highly anticipated draw for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026.

Tom Brady to assist with World Cup Draw in D.C.

Alongside broadcasting, NFL icon Tom Brady has garnered an interest in the Beautiful Game with his ownership stake in English soccer club Birmingham City FC. Now, with the biggest soccer tournament in the world coming to North America, Tom Brady will be part of the FIFA World Cup draw scheduled for Friday in Washington, D.C.

Alongside Brady, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand, Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, and NHL icon Wayne Gretzky will participate in the ceremony. These prominent athletes will take the stage to draw the balls that determine the various groups in the upcoming tournament.

“Being part of the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup is an incredible honor,” Brady said about the event in a statement released by FIFA. “It’s the kind of global stage every athlete dreams of. I’m excited to help set the path for a tournament that brings the world together like nothing else.”

With Tom Brady continuing to expand his horizons across various disciplines, it will be interesting to see what the future Hall of Famer cooks up next. Whether it is breaking viewership records in the booth or stepping onto a global stage like the World Cup draw, Brady’s post-NFL chapter is starting to look as ambitious as his playing career.