Chiefs and Bills on CBS is most-watched AFC Championship Game ever

It’s the biggest audience for the AFC/NFC title game since Giants-49ers in 2012 (57.6M) according to Sports Business Journal

Tuesday, January 28th 2025, 5:28 pm

By: CBS Sports


If you were watching the AFC Championship game on CBS over the weekend, then give yourself a pat on the back, because you were part of television history. 

The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills had an average audience of 57.4 million, according to the Sports Business Journal, making it the most-watched AFC title game in NFL history. 

The Chiefs' dramatic 32-29 victory over the Bills broke a viewership record that was set last year when 55.5 million people watched the Chiefs beat the Ravens. Last year's game broke a record that had stood since January 2011 when an average of 54.850 million tuned in to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New York Jets, 24-19. 

The game between the Chiefs and Bills was also the second-most watched non-Super Bowl in NFL history (via Puck News), trailing only the 2009 NFC Championship between the Vikings and Saints that New Orleans won in overtime, 31-28. 

The matchup in Kansas City had all the makings of a TV hit: 

  1. It was a high-profile showdown. The game featured two star quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. 
  2. It was close until the end. The game was close for all four quarters, which kept viewers glued to their seat. The Chiefs were leading by just three points with 3:33 left to play when the Bills got the ball with a chance to win, but Buffalo's potential game-winning drive came up short when Dalton Kincaid dropped a fourth down pass from Josh Allen. 


The numbers for the NFC Championship weren't quite as high. According to the SBJ, the Eagles 55-23 win over the Commanders drew 44.2. million, and although that's an impressive number, it was still the lowest number for an NFC title game since 2019. 

The Chiefs have turned into a huge draw with Patrick Mahomes and you just have to look at the viewership numbers for proof. Not only do they have the most watched AFC title game in history, but the most watched Super Bowl in TV history came last year on CBS when the Chiefs beat the 49ers, 25-22, in overtime (That was also the most-watched telecast on a single network in TV history with 123.4 million viewers). 

With the Chiefs looking to make NFL history this year by becoming the first team ever to win three Super Bowls in a row, there's a chance they could draw a big number in the big game once again. The Chiefs and Eagles will be kicking off on Feb. 9 from New Orleans in Super Bowl LIX. 


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