The first round playoff matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins resulted in a record amount of signups for the streaming platform Peacock, according to what a digital analytics firm told CNN.
The three days preceding the Wild Card matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins saw Peacock gain 2.8 million new subscribers, according to Antenna.
Antenna said it was “the single biggest subscriber acquisition moment ever measured” by themselves. It surpassed the launch of Disney+ and several Super Bowls. The main difference is that the Super Bowls could still be viewed through other mediums.
NBC said the Kansas City Chiefs – Miami Dolphins wildcard matchup on Peacock was the most-viewed streaming event of all-time
The NFL Wild Card game that featured the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs was the biggest live-streamed event in U.S. history with 28 million viewers, according to NBC themselves.
NBC said that the stream had an average of 23 million viewers. It accounted for 30% of all internet traffic in the U.S. when the game was going on.
The previous high for a streaming event like this was a Thursday Night Football game on Amazon Prime. A late-season matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks brought in 15.26 million viewers.
In an article from Forbes, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke as if a streamed game like this was just a hint of the future to come.
“To best serve our fans, we need to ensure games are available to them as their viewing habits change and this includes digital distribution as we continue to help shape the future of the sports and entertainment industry.”
Fans were not happy with the Kansas City Chiefs – Miami Dolphins game being exclusive to Peacock
Many fans voiced their opinion on the exclusive nature of the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs on Peacock. While there was exclusive streaming games all year, the fact that this was a playoff game angered fans.
This was also a different platform than the weekly Thursday Night Football games featured on Amazon Prime. Amazon has over 200 million prime members according to Backlinko.com. Peacock had 30 million users before the exclusive featuring of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, according to Variety Magazine.
This disparity in users meant a lot more people were going to have to sign up for this service for the first time.
They may have had 30 million streaming on peacock for the playoff game but this says they lost 10 to 12 million fans ?? Wonder how they advertisers will take to that ?https://t.co/kMvsDvVbwI
— Ho Lee Fuk (@HoLeeFu55204765) January 19, 2024
Most streamed event of any kind, ever: Dolphins vs. Chiefs on Peacock
You bought it
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 15, 2024
As the NFL tries to stick with the transition between traditional television and the modern streaming era, more exclusive streaming games can be expected. The Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime isn’t going away until 2033. Peacock/NBC reportedly paid $110 million for the playoff game.
