Chiefs playoff game Sunday was highest-rated prime-time TV program of last 11 months

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes plus Ben Roethlisberger’s final game equaled massive television ratings.

Despite the Chiefs cruising to a 42-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a AFC Wild Card playoff last Sunday, NBC said the game had 28.9 million viewers, which made it television’s most-watched prime time show since Super Bowl LV in February. Factor in people watching on Telemundo, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital platforms, and the viewership was 30.5 million.

The number of viewers for the game was 17% higher than a year earlier for the Browns-Steelers Wild Card game that was on NBC.

Viewership for the Chiefs-Steelers game peaked at 33.8 million at the end of the first half from 8:30-8:45 p.m.

In Kansas City, the game had a 50.5 rating, meaning slightly more than half of all TVs in Kansas City were tuned to the game, and an 80 share.

For NBC’s other weekend game, the Bengals’ 23-16 win against the Raiders, Kansas City was the sixth-highest rated market (21.9/46), slightly better than No. 7 Las Vegas.