Mahomes, Chiefs vs. Allen, Bills Sets Record 50M+ Viewers for NFL Divisional Game

The Kansas City Chiefs' 27-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills was the highest-rated game in NFL divisional-round history.

CBS Sports announced an average of 50.4 million viewers tuned in Sunday, making it the most-watched program of any kind since Super Bowl LVII last February.

ESPN's Adam Schefter posted additional information:

The NFL is the biggest sports league in the country and its games always dominate the list of most-watched shows/events in a given year.

But Tuesday's announcement offers more evidence that the Taylor Swift bump is very real. Swift attended Sunday's game, and Chiefs star Travis Kelce sent social media into overdrive when he appeared to gesture toward her in his family's luxury suite.

Swift's popularity aside, Chiefs vs. Bills was bound to be a massive draw given their budding rivalry. They've faced off seven times since 2020, including three in the postseason, and their last playoff encounter was an instant classic.

Thanks to the wind and frigid temperatures in Orchard Park, New York, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen didn't put on the kind of show they did two years ago. Mahomes threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns, and Allen finished with 186 yards and one score through the air.

The game itself provided just as much drama, though, and a different sort of back-and-forth offensive battle. As much as Mahomes and Allen struggled on deep throws, Kansas City and Buffalo only combined to have three punts.

The Chiefs ultimately came out on top after Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal that would've tied the score in the final three minutes.

Now, Mahomes will line up opposite presumptive MVP winner Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, a matchup that should be more ratings gold for the NFL.