Chiefs-Bills scores massive ratings; NFC title game down

The Kansas City Chiefs' 32-29 win Sunday over the Buffalo Bills was the most-watched AFC Championship game in history with 57.4 million viewers on CBS, according to multiple reports.

That eclipsed the 55.5 million set the previous year for the Chiefs' 17-10 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. It also made it the most-watched AFC title game since the late 1980s advent of Nielsen's People Meter measurement system, according to Front Office Sports.

It was the highest number for any AFC or NFC title game since the New York Giants' 20-17 triumph against the San Francisco 49ers had an audience of 57.6 million on Jan. 22, 2012.

Sunday's NFC Championship on FOX, played in the earlier broadcast slot, averaged 44.2 million viewers to see the Philadelphia Eagles roll to a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders.

That was the lowest number for an NFC title game since the 2018 season.

In addition to the later time slot, potential reasons for the much higher audience for Chiefs-Bills includes the game being closer and featuring two high-profile quarterbacks -- the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and the Bills' Josh Allen -- as well as the presence at the game of pop star Taylor Swift, the girlfriend of Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce.

--Field Level Media