Chiefs-Ravens AFC Championship Game Sets NFL Ratings Record
The ratings for the Chiefs/Ravens AFC Championship matchup were historically high.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs never left much doubt as they beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 on the road.
While America might have been pulling for Jackson to hold as the last line of defense against a Taylor Swift dominated Super Bowl, it simply wasn't meant to be.
Many NFL fans might be disappointed, but the league is definitely smiling at the record ratings.
The Chiefs beat the Ravens to advance to the Super Bowl. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Chiefs beating Ravens puts up massive TV ratings.
The game averaged more than 55.4 million viewers on CBS and peaked with a staggering 64 million, according to a release from the network.
How impressive of viewership was it for the NFL? It's the most watched AFC Championship matchup in the history of the NFL, and it was a 17% increase from the same time window last year.
For comparison, the 49ers beating the Lions averaged nearly 56.7 million viewers on Fox and peaked with 58.967 million viewers between 9:15-9:30 EST as the comeback was underway.
While the Chiefs/Ravens didn't average more viewers, it peaked by more than five million viewers when compared to the NFC Championship.
Remember when people claimed the NFL was dying a few years back? The league has literally never been stronger, and the ratings reflect that.
Chiefs/Ravens game put up record TV ratings for the AFC Championship. (Emily Curiel/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Now, how much does Taylor Swift play into these historic ratings? You know I have to bring it up. While it's impossible to say for sure, the fact the ratings were up in such a significant way definitely begs the question.
Are people tuning in just because of the chaos and circus acts surrounding the Chiefs? I believe the answer is yes, and I even met some Chiefs/Swift fans in the wild this weekend.
They were beyond annoying. That's not a reflection on T-Swift, but you truly can't imagine how insufferable these people were as they shouted and cheered for Kelce.
Is Taylor Swift giving a boost to the Chiefs when it comes to TV ratings? (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Now, all eyes turn to the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and 49ers. What will the ratings be for that game? Expect them to be huge. Expect them to be absolutely massive. Let me know your predictions and thoughts on the Chiefs at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.