The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t chase another Super Bowl this year. They didn’t even make the playoffs. And yet, America couldn’t stop watching them.
Fresh NFL data has revealed that the Chiefs remain the most magnetic team on television, with viewership soaring despite a miserable 6–11 campaign that would have sunk most franchises into irrelevance.
According to figures compiled by Nielsen, NFL TV ratings jumped by 10 percent compared to 2024, with games averaging a staggering 18.7 million viewers this season. And when it comes to the biggest broadcasts of the year, the Chiefs dominated.
Four of the five most-watched games of the entire season featured Kansas City.
The crown jewel was the Thanksgiving clash between the Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys, which drew an astonishing 57.3 million viewers as Dallas edged a dramatic 31–28 victory. That number alone would make network executives weep with joy.
Earlier that same day, the second-most-watched game saw the Green Bay Packers battle the Detroit Lions in an NFC North showdown watched by 47.7 million fans.
Kansas City then appeared in spots three, four and five on the rankings list, including their Super Bowl rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead Stadium, which attracted 33.8 million viewers. Their Week 9 trip to Buffalo pulled in 30.9 million, while a late-season loss in Denver rounded out the top five.
It’s an extraordinary achievement for a team that finished well outside playoff contention — and proof that the Chiefs’ grip on the national imagination remains iron-clad.
Whether it’s the enduring star power of Patrick Mahomes, the cultural phenomenon surrounding Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, or simply the aura built by years of dominance, Kansas City has become must-see TV regardless of the scoreboard.
Across the league, the NFL continues to crush the ratings war, with 89 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts of 2025 being football games.
And 2026 is already shaping up to deliver more drama, with Wild Card Weekend launching a three-day feast of prime-time matchups — a reminder that while dynasties may fade, America’s obsession with football never does.
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