Chiefs-Bills deliver CBS the most-watched divisional playoff game in NFL history
It's always an instant classic when the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills meet in the playoffs. That was the case with the divisional round matchup on Sunday night, which drew record viewership numbers. According to Paramount's press release, this NFL on CBS presentation of Chiefs-Bills became the most-watched divisional playoff game ever. Regardless of […]
It's always an instant classic when the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills meet in the playoffs. That was the case with the divisional round matchup on Sunday night, which drew record viewership numbers.
According to Paramount's press release, this NFL on CBS presentation of Chiefs-Bills became the most-watched divisional playoff game ever. Regardless of network, it was the first divisional playoff game to surpass 50 million viewers. Its average viewership exceeded 50 million and was up over 10 percent compared to the Cowboys-49ers game in last year's evening window, which drew 45.6 million viewers. The record for the most-watched divisional playoff game was previously held by the NFC tilt between the Cowboys and Packers in the 2016-2017 NFL season.
The Chiefs' 27-24 victory over the Bills was also the most-watched program on any network since they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. This divisional playoff game peaked at over 56 million viewers, which is a larger viewership than either championship game a season ago.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have become must-watch television over the years. Against Josh Allen and the Bills, after the 13-second game, this has become one of the most exciting matchups in football. It might not be much of a rivalry in the postseason, but these games hardly ever disappoint NFL viewers.
CBS Sports is in the midst of a record-setting season in terms of NFL viewership. This follows what has been the most-watched regular season since the NFL returned to CBS back in 1998. They're also breaking viewership records on Paramount+ as this game was the most-streamed game in Paramount+ history, following what has been the most-streamed NFL season ever on the platform.
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