The quarterback matchup between Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes isn’t the only major storyline going into their AFC wild card game.
Another question is how many fans will pay to watch one of the NFL’s important games of the season being carried exclusively on a streaming platform for the first time.
Saturday night’s game will be shown on Peacock after NBCUniversal won the rights last May. The game will be broadcast on the NBC affiliates in Kansas City and Miami, following the NFL’s protocol for Thursday night games streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
“I mean, the NFL, which prints money — that’s got more money than God — they gotta make another $110 million for that stupid Peacock game,” commentator Chris Russo said on ESPN’s “First Take” program. “Oh my God, that drove me crazy! That is being a pig! That’s what that’s being.
“So, the poor person who’s 75 years of age, who’s followed the Chiefs since (Hank) Stram and Len Dawson, has gotta figure out on his remote where to get the stupid game and pay for the streaming service to see a playoff game!”
Under the NFL’s contract, each of its four broadcast partners — NBC, CBS, Fox and ESPN/ABC — gets at least one wild-card game. Of the two remaining games, one rotates each year between NBC, CBS and Fox, while the other will likely be up for bid each year. That means Amazon or ESPN+ could eventually be in the running.
ESPN started carrying NFL games in 1987, but it took 27 seasons before it aired its first playoff game. The league’s embrace of streaming has been much faster.
Amazon Prime Video became the exclusive home of “Thursday Night Football” last season while ESPN has streamed one international game per season on ESPN+ since 2021.
Peacock had its first exclusive regular-season game when the Buffalo Bills visited the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 23.
All playoff games will also be available on mobile devices through the NFL+ package.
NBC Sports president Rick Cordella did not share expectations about the number of new Peacock subscribers the company is hoping to gain from streaming a playoff game. He said NBC’s top priorities were making sure the production is top-notch and that its streaming technology can handle the influx of viewers.
“We’re in the big event business. We’ve streamed the Super Bowl in the past, World Cup, Olympics, WrestleMania, Premier League each weekend, ‘Sunday Night Football’ throughout the season,” Cordella said. “So, this is not new territory for us, and I have confidence that our product and tech teams will deliver a great experience for the viewers Saturday evening.”
