Last night, the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins made history by having the first NFL playoff broadcast exclusively on a streaming service. Peacock had the honor of being the platform to have this exclusive coverage. So, how did it play out? Despite some controversy, it appeared to bring in a big haul.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins Sets Streaming Record
During halftime of Sunday Night Football with the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico addressed the audience about last night’s ratings. He reported that Peacock made history with last night’s broadcast. Just how good was it?
Tirico claims that Peacock set a record for the most streamed event in US history. He also mentioned that the Chiefs vs. Dolphins game brought in about 23 million viewers. On top of this, the Peacock app became the top-ranked app in app stores by the conclusion of the broadcast.
The New Normal After Controversy?
Let’s not forget that there was a lot of controversy going into this game. The NFL arguably targeted Swiftie fans to bring in the highest numbers on the streaming service. Plus, things escalated to the point where one congressman petitioned the NFL to make the game accessible on basic cable. If those two things were not enough, Robert Griffin III chimed in claiming it was too cold to go through with this game.
Nevertheless, the game kicked off as scheduled and NBC is claiming that it was a big success. So, will this become the new normal? It is a possibility considering the NFL just got paid $110 million for the rights to one playoff game.
Plus, the NFL saw a big jump from their first exclusive game on Peacock. That one took place on a Saturday night shortly before Christmas between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers. However, that game failed to even crack 10 million viewers. So, if these numbers are true, the NFL has to be pleased with the direction exclusive streaming is going.
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