So much for being a "small-market team."
Pundits described the Buffalo Bills’ Week 11 bout with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs as must-watch TV in the leadup to the matchup, and this idea has been reflected in the final viewership numbers, as Buffalo’s 30-21 victory drew in numbers that haven’t been seen in over 17 years.
Per Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, last Sunday's game brought in 31.2 million views to CBS, good for the highest viewership in a non-Thanksgiving or Christmas regular season game since 2007 (in which Tom Brady's 8-0 New England Patriots defeated Peyton Manning's 7-0 Indianapolis Colts). In addition, per Alec White of BuffaloBills.com, the game ranked among the top 10 most-watched non-Thanksgiving games ever.
To put these numbers into reference, viewership across the 2023 NFL season netted an average of 17.9 million. Through Week 10 of the 2024 season, which doesn't include this past week's slate of games, NFL viewership has averaged 17.3 million per game, which marks the highest average through 10 weeks since the 2015 season. An impressive number, as it doesn't yet account for the massive ratings lift that Thanksgiving Day games provide.
In the Bills' victory over the Chiefs, 32.1 million people watched Josh Allen account for 317 total yards and two total touchdowns. This game also brought in what will likely be one of this season's greatest plays, a 26-yard go-ahead touchdown run by Allen on fourth-and-two late in the fourth quarter to help Buffalo put an end to Kansas City's undefeated season.
The Bills' defense also showed out on Sunday. The unit, which has been finding its groove over the last few games, sacked Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice and forced two interceptions as well, which included a game-sealing turnover on fourth down by linebacker Terrel Bernard.
The box-office Bills now get to enjoy this week's games as spectators as they head into their bye. They return to the playing field in Week 13 for a home bout against the 5-5 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football.
