If you watched the AFC Championship Game on CBS this weekend, pat yourself on the back because you were a part of television history.
The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens drew an average audience of 55.473 million, making it the most-watched AFC title game in NFL history. Viewership numbers peaked with a staggering 64.022 million people at one point during the second half.
The Chiefs’ 17-10 victory over the Ravens broke a viewership record that had stood for 12 years. The previous record was set in January 2011, when an average of 54.850 million people watched the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New York Jets, 24-19.
The game between the Chiefs and Ravens was also the most-watched non-Super Bowl program on CBS since the 1994 Winter Olympics.
The match in Baltimore had all the makings of a television success:
- It was a highly publicized confrontation. The game featured two star quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
- It was close until the end. The game was close throughout all four quarters, which kept viewers glued to their seats. The Chiefs led by a single score with 2:30 to play and it all came down to the potent Kansas City offense needing to get a first down against the vaunted Ravens defense to seal the game.
- There were stars off the field. Taylor Swift hasn’t missed a single playoff game yet and she was there again Sunday to support Travis Kelce.
The NFL dominated all day Sunday. Not only did the AFC title game put up huge numbers, but so did the NFC title game.
According to at Fox SportsThe 49ers’ stunning victory over the Lions drew an average audience of 56.324 million, making it the most-watched NFC title game since the Giants beat the 49ers, 20-17, in January 2012.
The 49ers trailed the Lions by 17 points at halftime before storming back for a 34-31 victory.
The fact that both conference title games exceeded 50 million viewers is a rarity: it’s something that hasn’t happened since 2014.
There is only one game left in the NFL this season and that is Super Bowl LVIII, which begins in Las Vegas at 6:30 p.m. ET on February 11. You can watch the game on CBS or Nickelodeon. and you can also stream it on Paramount+.