Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown (5) celebrates with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
By Matt Yoder on

After years of dominating the AFC and being the NFL’s preeminent Super Bowl contender, the Kansas City Chiefs have fallen on hard times in 2025. But not when it comes to television ratings.

Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, Travis Kelce, and company have picked up the baton from the New England Patriots as the NFL’s latest dynasty. They have played in five of the last six Super Bowls, winning three of them.

But after getting blown out last season by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs have failed to recapture the magic of past seasons. With just a few weeks left to go in the 2025 regular season, Kansas City sits at 6-7 and on the outside looking in at the AFC playoff picture. They last missed the playoffs in 2014.

The lack of success on the field has not translated into any declining interest in the team, however. The NFL released viewership numbers for the season thus far on Friday. And to nobody’s surprise, the league is averaging its highest audience per game since 1989 as ratings have exploded this season. That is partly due to the league’s increasing popularity and partly due to Nielsen measurement changes.

But what stands out even more is the dominating presence of the Chiefs. They account for four out of the top five most-watched games in 2025 and five out of the top ten, including the record setting Thanksgiving game against the Cowboys.

This list does give more credence to the idea that the Chiefs have surpassed the Dallas Cowboys as America’s Team, at least as we currently stand. The Cowboys have three games on the list, as do the defending Super Bowl champions in the Philadelphia Eagles. No other team has more than two games on the list, including ratings powerhouses like the Packers, Lions, and Bills.

There’s no doubting just how much of a draw the Chiefs are, especially given their recent success and the crossover appeal of being Taylor Swift’s NFL team of choice. But if the losses keep stacking up and they aren’t yearly contenders, time will tell if it’s a true following or just the masses being front-runners.

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