The NFL was forced to delay the start of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Divisional playoff matchup against the Chiefs due to inclement winter weather in Kansas City. The primetime scheduling worked in the league’s favor, as the game was the highest-rated, most-watched primetime game ever in the Divisional and Wild Card rounds. That may change the NFL’s approach to playoff scheduling in coming years.
Steelers vs. Chiefs ratings mean we’ll get more primetime playoff games
The game was delayed due to weather, but the NFL was planning to use it as a test case for future scheduling.
Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
The league reportedly was going to consider shifting future games into primetime if this one drew significant ratings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Since the Steelers’ win over the Chiefs was the top-rated primetime Divisional or Wild Card game in history, it’s likely we’ll see more of those in the future.
The game was originally scheduled to kick off at 1:05 p.m., but the league was forced to reschedule for primetime due to an impending ice storm. Kickoff was moved to 8:20 p.m. to allow time for authorities to clear the roads.
Steelers vs. Chiefs came down to the wire, and finished with Pittsburgh holding on for an 18-16 win to advance to the AFC Championship. Pittsburgh won despite not getting into the end zone once, scoring exclusively on field goals. A late-game holding penalty that negated a Chiefs two-point conversion that would have tied the game heightened the excitement.
The game was the very first primetime playoff game on a Sunday, and it was broadcast exclusively on NBC.
The broadcast brought in 37.4 million viewers, which was an 8 percent improvement over the previous record holder, the New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles NFC Wild Card broadcast following the 2013 season. That telecast brought in 34.4 million viewers.
This game’s telecast was also the most-watched game broadcast on a Sunday Night since the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
It didn’t surpass the thrilling matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, which drew the best ratings of any Divisional round game in league history. Still, in a season where low NFL television ratings have been a key storyline, such strong viewership for Steelers vs. Chiefs suggests that primetime Sunday divisional games should be part of the league’s plans moving forward.
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