The Kansas City Chiefs’ come-from-behind overtime victory over the Los Angeles Chargers was broadcast to a whopping 18-million viewers on average on Thursday night. A national audience bore witness to Patrick Mahomes’ unique ability to pull out clutch victories against all odds with help from his supporting cast of elite offensive talent.
The 18-million viewers pulled in for the event was about 3-million above the 15.1-million that Thursday night games have pulled in on average this season, and was up 33-percent against last season’s Week 15 matchup in the same slot at 13.5-million. It also performed better than the average on the whole for 2020 games, which drew 14.1-million viewers every week. Digital viewing audiences were also up 37-percent on the year with an average minute audience of 1.5 million.
Fans who tuned in were treated to an excellent exhibition of the best the NFL has to offer in terms of offensive prowess and showcased the strength of the AFC West ahead of January’s playoffs. Both teams looked like championship contenders, with a playoff atmosphere in the overtime tilt.
Led by the contributions of Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce, the Chiefs put on a display worthy of the most coveted time on television in the win, cementing themselves as one of the best teams in the league. While the game took place in Los Angeles and had many of the rich and famous in attendance, Kansas City stole the show to maintain their divisional lead.
Though they get a long week of rest after the Thursday night matchup, the Chiefs will need to come back looking better than they did this week to stay in the mix for the first seed in the AFC playoffs when the regular season concludes. They’ll play the Pittsburgh Steelers on the day after Christmas in Week 16, with a chance to take over the conference’s top spot if the New England Patriots or Tennessee Titans lose their games.
