NBC's gamble paid off in a big way, and we can expect to see more streaming-only playoff games in the future.
Despite some reservations from fans, the Chiefs defeated the Dolphins 26-7 in the wild card on Saturday, streaming exclusively on NBC's Peacock except in local markets, but becoming the most streamed game in U.S. history. set a record for the most live events ever. “His daily usage of the Internet in the United States is the largest in history and the largest Internet event in history.” According to a press release from Comcast, NBC's parent company..
These numbers are based on Nielsen national live and same-day high-speed data, with official numbers expected to be released on Friday.
“From NBC Sports and the Peacocks to the Comcast team, our entire company worked together seamlessly to plan this game and execute flawlessly to deliver an NFL streaming experience on an unprecedented scale.” said Brian L. Roberts, Comcast Chairman and CEO. said in a press release. “It's a very proud moment.”
Saturday's matchup between the AFC's No. 3 and No. 6 seeds reached 27.6 million viewers during the second quarter from 9:15 to 9:30 p.m. (ET), according to Nielsen data cited in a press release. ) peaked at 24.6 million people. .
The average audience of 23 million viewers, including Peacock, local stations in Miami and Kansas City, and NFL+, set a U.S. streaming record and was a 6 percent increase over last year's prime-time Chargers-Jaguars AFC wild-card game. It was reported. release.
Comcast said the playoff matchup was Peacock's “largest ever in terms of daily viewership, engagement, and time spent.”
“We couldn't be more proud of our partnership with Peacock and are excited about the record-breaking numbers for the first-ever exclusive live streaming NFL playoff game,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press release. . “In recent years, we have continued to expand the digital distribution of our games, and these results show that the NFL is not only serving fans who consume content in a variety of ways, but also across the sport. and the entertainment industry. ”
With this kind of success, we can expect to see more games of this kind in the future.
While some fans have expressed frustration at having to pay for streaming services, that clearly hasn't stopped the NFL and NBC from pulling off a $110 million venture.
It certainly didn't hurt that Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions were in the game, Taylor Swift was in attendance, and the conditions were icy.
The Chiefs' offense overcame Miami's defense and advanced to the divisional round, where they will face either the Bills or the Texans.
