• Loading stock data...
Saturday, August 30, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

Bills-Chiefs Draws Historic TV Ratings, but NFC Game Disappoints

Drama still pulls in viewers as the taut Chiefs victory made history, and the blowout Eagles win definitely didn’t. 

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sunday’s NFL conference championship games provided two very different viewership realities, with one game making history, and the other extending a lengthy viewership decline for the league this season. 

CBS averaged an audience of 57.7 million for the AFC title game between the Bills and Chiefs, dramatically won by Kansas City 32–29, with that viewership representing the most-watched AFC championship game since the late 1980s advent of Nielsen’s People Meter measurement system. The figure surpassed last year’s NFC title contest, also played in the later 6:30 p.m. ET broadcast slot and drawing 56.7 million, by 1.7%.

The contest also ranks as the No. 2 in all-time viewership for the NFL in non–Super Bowl games in the last 37 years, trailing only the 2009 NFC title game between the Saints and Vikings, won by New Orleans in overtime and drawing an average of 57.9 million.

Fox, meanwhile, had a very different situation for the NFC championship game Sunday, won handily by the Eagles over the Commanders 55–23 in the earlier broadcast slot. The game averaged 44.2 million, down by 21% from the comparable draw of 55.7 million for the AFC title game last year—a figure that was a record for that conference matchup until Sunday. It’s worth noting that the 2023 season set NFL ratings records, and the first season of Taylor Swift’s presence aided the Chiefs in drawing enormous audiences.

The weaker figure for the NFC game—the worst for that conference title game since the 2018 season (Rams at Saints), and before the arrival of Nielsen’s counting of out-of-home audiences—extends declines seen throughout the NFL’s 2024 regular season, wild-card round, and divisional playoffs. It also helps create a more difficult situation for Fox to match the record-setting audience seen last year for Super Bowl LVIII with the upcoming Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 between the Chiefs and Eagles. 

The television audience for the AFC game, however, does additionally provide a counterargument to “Chiefs fatigue” that may be currently at play in a declining ticket resale market for Super Bowl LIX.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
Barstool

Barstool Sues For Millions Over Failed Sponsorship Deal 

The media company says it was stiffed to the tune of $4.2 million.
Dallas Wings

WNBA Teams Desperate to Expand Rosters Amid ‘Extreme Hardship’ 

The Wings are scrambling to field eight players Friday night.

Cowboys’ Parsons Approach Shows High Cost of Delayed Contracts

Parsons will sign a four-year, $188 million deal with the Packers.

Featured Today

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.

NFL Preseason Sees 17% Jump in TV Ratings, Best Since 2018

Average audiences for the exhibition games increase sharply from last year.
ESPN
August 27, 2025

Disney Sues Sling TV Over $5 Day Passes Granting ESPN Access

Newly introduced short-term subscriptions spark a legal challenge.
Tom Brady
August 27, 2025

NFL Continues to Loosen Tom Brady Restrictions

Brady will be able to attend production meetings–remotely–this season.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
August 27, 2025

FCC Chair Joins Fox–YouTube TV Fight With Big Game on the Line

The Trump appointee is now involved in another media carriage fight.
Aug 24, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tommy Fleetwood holds the FedExCup Trophy on the 18th green after winning the TOUR Championship golf tournament.
August 26, 2025

PGA Tour TV Ratings: Fleetwood’s Breakthrough Caps Playoff Surge

Sunday’s final round drew nearly 4.5 million viewers on NBC.
August 26, 2025

NFL Sunday Ticket Debuts Monthly Plan—but at a Steep Cost

Previously, fans had to purchase the service for the entire season.
August 21, 2025

Fox Enters Streaming Wars With Leaner, Sports-Heavy Approach

A different strategy marks the arrival of the network’s streaming service.