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Texans-Chiefs Divisional playoff game becomes ESPN’s most-watched NFL game ever

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra•01/20/25•

SamraSource

Chiefs, Texans
Chiefs, Texans (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

The NFL Divisional Round showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans delivered a record-setting audience for ESPN over the weekend.

According to the World Wide Leader, the clash saw 32.7 million viewers turn in, which was enough to become ESPN’s most-watched NFL game ever. The statistic dates back to 1987, so it certainly was a historic broadcast.

Those numbers are gaudy, and they’re deserved. The game between the Chiefs and the Texans was a doozy, with Kansas City outlasting the Texans for the second time in as many months. The two teams played in Week 16, with the Chiefs also getting the win at home, prior to their Christmas Day clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

All told, it was a perfect ending to ESPN’s NFL coverage for the 2024 campaign. The NFC and AFC Championship Games will be carried by FOX and CBS respectively, with FOX also carrying the Super Bowl this season. ESPN will sit the rest of the live broadcasting out, although they’re sure to debate each storyline for the remainder of the season.

Nevertheless, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman captained an impressive seasons-worth of games for ESPN over the past few months, and it came to a fitting close in Kansas City. They’ll be looking to break that record when this time rolls around next year.

AFC Championship Game set: Chiefs vs. Bills game time, TV channel

Meanwhile, the game time and TV network for the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills has been set, following a riveting round of action in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.

Buffalo advanced to the AFC Championship Game by knocking off the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday evening in brutally cold conditions in a game that came down to the wire.

Turnovers were a major problem for the Ravens, and the Bills made sure they capitalized just about every time they had an opportunity. Meanwhile, quarterback Josh Allen was sharp again, pretty much nails throughout the contest.

The game finished 27-25 in favor of Buffalo, which locked up a playoff rematch against Kansas City. The game will take place at 6:30 p.m. ET this coming Sunday, and it’ll be broadcasted on CBS, with streaming taking place on Paramount+ and available on Fubo, as well.

— On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this article.