Epic AFC championship between Chiefs and Bills pulls in blockbuster viewership

The numbers are in!

AFC Championship Game: Buffalo Bills v Kansas City Chiefs
AFC Championship Game: Buffalo Bills v Kansas City Chiefs | Jamie Squire/GettyImages

We knew the numbers would be good. Such an epic matchup is always going to be an incredible draw.

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship on Sunday evening for the rights to represent the conference in Super Bowl LIX set for New Orleans on February 9. Coming into the game, the buzz was electric as diehard fans and casual ones both looked forward to the showdown for so many reasons—not the least of which was the chance to see Patrick Mahomes versus Josh Allen once again as the game's starting quarterbacks.

As it turns out, the ratings might have turned out even better than some would have expected.

The Chiefs have proven to be a strong draw for any and all networks for quite some time. Earlier this year, they were establishing themselves as the primary team to have on a broadcast if a streaming partner wants to pull in elite numbers.

In the divisional round of the NFL postseason, ESPN enjoyed record ratings as they broadcast the Chiefs' win over the Houston Texans. Nearly 33 million viewers tuned in to see the 23-14 victory.

Back to the AFC Championship game, if the Texans' game had such an impressive audience, it made sense that the figures for the next round would be that much greater.

The Bills-Chiefs game had so much going for it in terms of NFL fandom, and it will be interesting to see how those figures compare with a Super Bowll. While the title game is a spectacle on a global scale and will surpass the previous round, the truth is that more fans were likely looking forward to the Bills and Chiefs than they would any NFC matchup with either team.

While the Philadelphia Eagles have plenty of stars on the team, including Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, the rivalry established between the Chiefs and Bills is a much more interesting matchup. The Eagles and Chiefs have already faced off in a Super Bowl in recent years, and very few were clamoring for a rematch when the postseason began.

Suffice it to say, the sentiment that the "real Super Bowl" was the AFC Championship was backed up by the numbers in terms of football fan interest. Previous contests between Mahomes and Allen have been instant classics and this latest chapter proved to be the same.

Schedule