Monday, November 9, 2026

Bills’ Dethroning of Chiefs Draws Highest TV Ratings of NFL Season

Chiefs-Bills was promoted as the game of the year, and it delivered, drawing the biggest TV audience of the season, with more than 31 million viewers.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

The Bills not only handed the Chiefs their first loss of the year Sunday but also gave the NFL its most-watched game of the season.

CBS drew 31.14 million viewers for Buffalo’s 30–21 victory over Kansas City, according to a source who viewed the game’s Nielsen ratings, which is the league’s highest TV audience this fall. That number beats the NFL season kickoff game record of 29.2 million viewers NBC got for the Chiefs’ 27–20 win over the Ravens in Week 1.

Ahead of the previously undefeated Chiefs visiting the AFC rival Bills, CBS went all out promoting the potential game of the year. The network took its pregame studio show, The NFL Today, on the road to Highmark Stadium. The program aired in its traditional noon ET time slot, several hours before Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen squared off at 4:25 p.m.

The massive viewership continues Kansas City’s dominance as the NFL’s No. 1 TV team, further separating the Chiefs from the Cowboys, who fell to 3–7 on the season after Monday night’s 34–10 loss to the Texans. The Chiefs are now responsible for the three most-watched games this season, including 27.9 million viewers on CBS for a victory over the Bengals in Week 2.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

11/9/26 – Russini Makes Her Return, Press Secretary Dana White?, Kolek Retracts Swift Diss

0:00

Featured Today

Can MLS Capitalize on Son-Mania?

Korea and Tottenham fans alike have flocked to LAFC’s away matches.
Pickering High School North
November 4, 2026

High School Athletic Directors Say They’re Running ‘Mini Colleges’

ADs are managing a growing list of demands from athletes and parents.
October 30, 2026

How Injuries Hit Pro Marathoners in the Wallet

Staying healthy can get expensive—quickly.
Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match
October 21, 2026

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
The ESPN logo is seen on an electronic display in Times Square in New York City, U.S., August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Exclusive

ESPN Warns Talent About Insider Betting on Prediction Markets

The guidelines were sent to on-camera talent at the end of October.
Feb 7, 2022; Westlake Village, CA, USA; ESPN reporter Dianna Russini at Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI Opening Night at Oaks Christian High School. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
First at FOS
November 6, 2026

Dianna Russini Set to Return to Media: What We Know

Russini’s new content is expected to be sponsored by gambling operators.
November 6, 2026

College Football’s Loaded Saturday Sets Up Huge Day for ABC, ESPN

The networks will broadcast five top-25 matchups Saturday.
Sponsored

How Jeremy Bloom Is Reinventing the X Games

Jeremy Bloom discusses transforming the X Games into a global brand.
Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman during halftime at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
November 5, 2026

Julian Edelman: Foxborough ‘Will Be Rocking’ for Tom Brady’s Return

Brady will be calling a Patriots game for the first time.
ESPN analyst Pat McAfee broadcasts live from the sidelines of Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA prior to the start of the Pittsburgh Panthers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish game on November 15, 2025.
Opinion
November 5, 2026

How Did Pat McAfee Get So Polarizing?

Some of the criticism is self-inflicted. Some of it is unfair.
November 4, 2026

College Football TV Ratings Remain Down 11% Through October

Four games total have drawn an audience of 10 million or higher.
Oct 31, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries players hold the trophy after winning the 2026 WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center
November 3, 2026

WNBA Finals Game 7 Draws 3.3M Viewers

The series averaged nearly 1.9 million viewers, the most for a Finals.