CBS reveals Chiefs-Ravens was most-watched AFC Championship Game ever

Sunday’s clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game was a historic affair on CBS.

No, it’s not because Taylor Swift is headed to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. Evidently, the showdown shattered records for CBS, as they announced via press release on Tuesday.

As CBS prepares to broadcast the Super Bowl in less than two weeks, they revealed their showing of the AFC Championship Game delivered their most viewers ever for the conference title game, peaking with more than 64 million viewers during the action.

The NFL ON CBS delivers the most-watched AFC Championship Game ever with more than 55 million viewers.

Sunday's game peaked with more than 64 million viewers.

CBS Sports leads all networks with its best postseason viewership since the NFL returned to CBS in 1998, including… pic.twitter.com/3AgeMDxy0b

— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) January 30, 2024

“CBS Sports continued its record-setting viewership with another 50+ million-viewer audience leading up to its presentation of Super Bowl LVIII,” CBS Sports stated via press release. “The NFL ON CBS scored the most-watched AFC Championship Game ever, averaging 55.473 million viewers in the early window (3:03-6:12 PM, ET).

“The previous record was 54.850 million viewers for Jets-Steelers in the late window (6:42-9:54 PM, ET) on Jan. 23, 2011.”

That’s highly impressive for CBS and the NFL ahead of their broadcast of the Super Bowl. Additionally, CBS added some information regarding the hot streak they’re on, as their NFL Divisional Playoff games set records, as well.

“Along with its record-setting NFL Divisional Playoff (50.395 million viewers), the NFL ON CBS has delivered an audience of 50+ million viewers in back-to-back weeks,” CBS added. “The audience for Chiefs-Ravens increased +17% vs. last year’s comparable early window (49ers-Eagles).

“Sunday’s game is the most-watched non-Super Bowl program on CBS in 30 years since the 1994 Winter Olympics in primetime (Feb. 25, 1994). The AFC Championship Game peaked with more than 64 million viewers (64.022).”

Moreover, CBS also added some context as to how many viewers watched on their Paramount+ app, “Paramount+ recorded its most-streamed live event ever and scored double-digit year-over-year growth in households, streaming minutes and average minute audience (AMA) vs. last year’s AFC Championship Game,” the press release read.

The channel has been at the head of the pack for their NFL coverage this postseason, leading all networks with an average of 45.607 million viewers, they announced. That’s a 12% uptick from last season, proving the NFL is king.

All this leads to the NFL and CBS breaking some more records in the Super Bowl, it seems. We’ll see what the viewership is then, but we’re willing to bet it’ll be monstrous.