Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (R) celebrate on the stage prior to the trophy presentation after their' game against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

AFC Championship Game sets viewership record

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 1/30/24

Sunday's clash between the Chiefs and Ravens was the most watched AFC Championship Game in history, CBS announced on Tuesday.

More than 55 million people tuned into the game, with a peak of over 64 million.

The NFL ON CBS delivers the most-watched AFC Championship Game ever with more than 55 million viewers.

Sunday's game peaked with more than 64 million viewers.

CBS Sports leads all networks with its best postseason viewership since the NFL returned to CBS in 1998, including… pic.twitter.com/3AgeMDxy0b
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) January 30, 2024

The Chiefs won their second consecutive AFC title and fourth in the past five years by beating the Ravens, 17-10.

The game featured quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, players who've combined to win three MVPs since 2018 and who will likely add a fourth shortly, as Jackson is the favorite to take home the 2023 award. Mahomes won the award in 2018 and 2022, while Jackson won in 2019.

Unfortunately for Jackson, his most-watched game was the one he played the worst. He entered the championship game with a passer rating over 100 in his previous three starts but posted his third-worst passer rating of the season (75.5) in the loss.

Such eye-popping viewership data for the AFC Championship Game should raise the expectations for Super Bowl LVIII to deliver gargantuan ratings.

Last year's Super Bowl was the most-watched U.S.-based production in history with an average of 115.1 million viewers.

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