NBC Says Peacock-Exclusive NFL Playoff Game Was Most-Streamed Live Event in U.S. History
NBC Says Peacock-Exclusive NFL Playoff Game Was Most-Streamed Live Event in U.S. History
According to NBC, the game averaged 23 million viewers, even if some fans were disgruntled about having to watch the game on Peacock.
There’s no denying the offering of a playoff game exclusively on a streaming platform was a gamble for the NFL. But that gamble appears to have paid off, as NBCUniversal is announcing that Saturday’s Wild Card game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs drew more viewers than any other livestreamed event in the history of the United States, averaging 23 million total viewers across platforms.
- The game reached 27.6 million viewers overall, according to Nielsen.
- The announcement also says the game accounted for 30% of total internet traffic while it was on.
- The game was only available on linear television in the Miami and Kansas City TV markets.
Touchdown Peacock!
Peacock’s announcement of ratings success with its exclusive Wild Card game was accompanied by plenty of facts and figures. The game reached nearly 28 million total viewers, and peaked at an average of 24.6 million during the game’s second quarter, when it was still a close contest. The game made for the largest single day of engagement for Peacock in the service’s history.
Though the game has been called an exclusive for Peacock, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. It was available on TV in both Kansas City and Miami, as well as streaming on NFL+. But Miami is only the 16th-largest media market in the country, and Kansas City is 33rd, so while the game certainly drew big ratings in those markets, it’s fair to say its streaming audience was indeed substantial.
“From NBC Sports and Peacock to the Comcast team, our entire company worked seamlessly to plan for this game and executed flawlessly to deliver a streaming experience with the NFL on a scale that’s never been done before. It’s a very proud moment,” said Brian Roberts, CEO of NBCU’s parent company Comcast.
Was Peacock’s Exclusive Wild Card Game a Success?
The ratings would certainly seem to indicate that the streamer is chalking up the game as a massive win. The game didn’t quite reach the levels of 2023 Wild Card ratings, which averaged 28.4 million viewers per game. But as compared to regular-season streams of “Thursday Night Football” games on Prime Video — which also air on local broadcast channels in the home markets of the teams playing — this Dolphins - Chiefs game was a juggernaut. “TNF” games averaged a little under 12 million viewers per game during the season.
The experience of fans at the ground level is a bit more difficult to determine. NBC did an exhaustive job of advertising the fact that the game would only be available on Peacock for the vast majority of viewers, but many like NFL reporter Albert Breer were somewhat frustrated by what they saw as a transparent cash grab by the league and NBCUniversal.
Overall, the Peacock experience was fine—stream was good, no real glitches, and the picture was crystal clear like it is on Amazon. Now, it’s not like there’s some huge benefit to viewers from it being streamed rather than broadcast.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 14, 2024
But that was never the point of it. 💰💰 was.
Clearly, the perception that moving a playoff game to a streaming-exclusive (or close to it) format as a cash grab wasn’t enough to keep fans away from watching. But going forward, the league will have to do everything it can to ensure the streaming experience is a premium one if it wants fans to follow future playoff games to various streamers.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.