The Kansas City Chiefs continue to make history in many different ways. The latest moment was when the Houston Texans set a new league viewership record on ESPN over the weekend.
According to an ESPN announcement on Monday, the Chiefs vs. Texans AFC Divisional Round matchup was the most-watched NFL game ever. According to Nielsen Fast Nationals reports, it amassed 32.7 million viewers. This stat includes playoff and regular season games dating back to 1987, breaking new ground for the long-running network.
The record-breaking audience witnessed Patrick Mahomes making another unbelievable viral play, falling to toss a touchdown pass. The Chiefs defense tallied eight sacks on Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud to help clinch the game 23-14.
ESPN’s audience reportedly peaked at 38.5 million viewers (7-7:15 p.m.) on Saturday, Jan. 18, the highest peak audience of any network. The audience bested all 25 Disney NFL Playoff games in the previous 29 years, including 14 exclusively on ABC (1996-2005), 10 available on ABC and ESPN (2016-24), and one solely on ESPN (2015). The game also surpassed every regular season game exclusively on ABC since 1996.
The historic audience saw the Chiefs extend their streak of seven AFC Championship game appearances. At the same time, tight end Travis Kelce reached several milestones, leading the team in receiving on the day.