• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 1, 2025

As Bills Seek Playoff Revenge vs. Chiefs, Viewers Will Be at Attention

The Bills and Chiefs clash in the NFL postseason for the fourth time in the last five years.

Oct 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) hugs Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Parity is one of the NFL’s biggest selling points, but the Chiefs are starting to become the counterpoint to that claim.

Kansas City will play its seventh consecutive AFC championship game Sunday as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs chase the first three-peat in the Super Bowl era. The path this year has been eerily similar to their recent playoff runs, including a battle with Josh Allen and the Bills.

Buffalo will face the Chiefs in the postseason for the fourth time in five years. It has served as one of Kansas City’s biggest foils, despite being 0–3 against the Chiefs in the postseason with Allen under center. But the last two games were decided by one score—including the controversial overtime game in the AFC divisional round in 2022 that influenced a change to the overtime rules in the playoffs.

Despite the ostensibly rinse-and-repeat scenario, the NFL is likely not complaining about this matchup. A battle between the Chiefs—the league’s best viewership draw this year—and their playoff rival all but guarantees massive ratings.

Playoff Pull 

Here are the viewership numbers from their last three postseason battles:

The AFC championship game in 2021 was the lone matchup that didn’t provide huge viewership numbers, especially considering it was deeper into the postseason than their last two games. But it was also their first duel in this era—so the rivalry had yet to be solidified—and the Chiefs won by 14 points.

The two teams met in the regular season on Nov. 17—the Chiefs’ only loss this year with Mahomes as a starter—and the game drew 31.1 million viewers. That was the most-watched regular-season game of the year, excluding Thanksgiving. 

Questioning the Refs 

A battle with the Bills isn’t the only thing about this Chiefs run that mirrors past years.

Opposing players have questioned whether the referees have given favorable calls to the Chiefs, and it continued after Kansas City’s divisional-round win over the Texans. Mahomes drew two penalty calls on drives in the first and third quarters that led to points. 

“We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game,” Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said after the game

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, whose team was eliminated by the Bills on Sunday, also expressed his disdain for Kansas City on social media.

“I have no reason of saying this other than being a hater. The Bills or whatever NFC team gotta beat the Chiefs. We can’t let them keep getting away with this,” Humphrey tweeted Tuesday.

And it’s not only the players. NFL game analyst Troy Aikman, who called the Texans-Chiefs game for ESPN, called out the refs—and for the league to take action. “I could not disagree with that one more. He barely gets hit,” Aikman said. “They’ve got to address that in the offseason.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

ESPN, MLB Relationship May Not Be Over After All

The parties restart rights talks amid a high-profile divorce in February.

College Sports Revenue-Sharing Underway As More Changes Loom

July 1 marks the first day schools can directly pay players.

What Would a LeBron James L.A. Exit Look Like?

ESPN’s Bobby Marks said “there isn’t” a trade market for James.
Rob Manfred, Commissioner of the MLB, speaks to the media during Cactus League media day at the Arizona Biltmore on Feb. 18, 2025, in Phoenix.

Manfred, MLB Owners Pitch Directly to Players Ahead of CBA Expiration

Owners see a disconnect between union leadership and individual players.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.
Leo Messi

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.