Whether you love them or hate them, the Kansas City Chiefs continue to captivate football fans—this time by helping break an NFL record that dates back to at least 1988.
On January 28, sports correspondent John Ourand reported that the AFC Championship matchup between the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills averaged 57.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched AFC Championship game since at least 1988.
Ourand also noted that this game is now the second most-watched non-Super Bowl NFL game ever, trailing only the 2009-10 NFC Championship between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints on Fox. Additionally, this year’s AFC title game saw a 4% increase in viewership compared to last year’s Ravens-Chiefs matchup, which aired in the early window.
All of these figures are based on Nielsen’s ratings data.
Chiefs vs. Bills Viewership Nearly Matches Half of Super Bowl LVIII
To put this in perspective, the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in February 2024 drew an estimated 123.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
That means this year’s AFC Championship game attracted nearly half the audience of the NFL’s biggest event—a historically significant milestone.
The game also outperformed the most-watched NFL broadcast from November through December 2024 by almost 20 million viewers.
Nielsen reported on January 28 that the most-viewed program during that time frame was Fox’s Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, which drew 38.5 million viewers and 8.2 billion viewing minutes. However, Fox saw a 14% drop in total viewership for December compared to its record-breaking November, which benefited from the World Series and presidential election coverage.
Despite seasonal fluctuations, the NFL remains the dominant force in American sports broadcasting, with its popularity continuing to grow globally. Star quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, along with the cultural influence of celebrities like Taylor Swift—who attended the Chiefs-Bills game—only add to its reach.
Eagles Given 52.8% Chance of Beating Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX
According to Pro Football Network’s PFN Playoff Predictor, the Philadelphia Eagles have a 52.8% chance of defeating the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX—even though Kansas City has won back-to-back titles. This probability is based on PFN’s win probability model, which ran 10,000 simulations.
Oddsmakers in Las Vegas, however, disagree. Initially, sportsbooks set Kansas City as a 2-point favorite, and the line has since shifted to -1.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Despite their slight edge in the betting odds, the Chiefs are still viewed as underdogs by some analytics models.
Philadelphia presents a formidable challenge. The Eagles finished the regular season with a 14-3 record—just one win behind Kansas City—and entered the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Only the Detroit Lions (15-2) had a better record in the conference.
From a betting standpoint, Philadelphia has been strong against quality opponents. According to Pro Football Network, the Eagles are 18-8 against the spread (69.2%) since 2022 when facing teams with a winning record, ranking second only to the Lions (20-6-1).
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have been dominant in close contests. Kansas City has won 17 consecutive one-score games, including 12 this season—a feat tied for the most in a single season in NFL history.
