Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
By Drew Lerner on

The NFL had its least-watched conference championship weekend in five years on Sunday despite a pair of close games.

According to viewership data released by CBS and Fox, Sunday’s conference championship games averaged 47.4 million viewers, marking the NFL’s least-watched penultimate weekend since 2021 (43.3 million viewers).

Surprisingly, the early game on CBS led the way in what is traditionally the lesser-watched window of the day. The snowy AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos averaged 48.6 million viewers, up 10% versus last year’s NFC Championship Game which aired in the comparable window (44.2 million viewers for Eagles-Commanders). The year-over-year gain is a bit of a wonder considering the Broncos were starting backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, though dense snow and a tight finish in the second half likely held viewers’ attention. However, the gain wasn’t enough to offset a relatively poor showing for the NFC Championship Game later in the day.


That game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks on Fox had all the makings of an instant classic. It was back-and-forth, high-scoring, and had a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Matthew Stafford playing for the Rams. Despite all of those factors that would seemingly help drive a strong viewership number, the game averaged just 46.1 million viewers on Fox, down considerably from last year’s record-setting Chiefs-Bills game in the comparable window (57.4 million viewers). The game did outdraw the aforementioned Eagles-Commanders NFC title game in last year’s early window, however.

So why was this year’s viewership lackluster? Well, there are a couple reasons that likely contribute. For one, the games lacked a clear superstar. It was the first time since 2011 that championship weekend did not feature either Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes. Even with Stafford’s Super Bowl pedigree, Drake Maye, Sam Darnold, and Jarrett Stidham don’t necessarily put butts in seats.

Second, a massive snowstorm impacted much of the country. Conventional wisdom would suggest that such a storm would serve to increase viewership as more people are stuck at home with nothing to do but watch football. However, in the out-of-home viewing era, which Nielsen began to track in 2020, it’s clear that missing out on audiences gathered at bars and restaurants to watch the games had a diminishing effect on the overall number.

It is certainly notable that the NFL’s five-year low comes in the first year that the conference championship games included Nielsen’s expanded out-of-home measurements (which began February 2025), and the new Big Data + Panel methodology (which began September 2025), both of which have generally served to increase viewership figures for live sports compared to prior years. All things being equal, it is possible last weekend’s viewership was more than a five-year low point.

Regardless, these are still the type of viewership numbers that no other television programming even comes close to matching. These games will almost certainly be among the most-watched television events of the year, so a five-year low is relative. The NFL won’t be sweating over a couple of audiences that captured more than 45 million people. Nor should they.

About Drew Lerner

Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.

View all posts by Drew Lerner