..., making it the highest-rated NFL divisional playoff game ever

https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-sports/shows/nfl-on-cbs/releases/

While initial reports had viewership at 39 million (https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/latest-chiefs-bills-playoff-classic-slips-under-40-million-viewers), CBS Sports says Sunday night's thriller averaged 50.393 million viewers, up 10% from the Dallas Cowboys vs. the San Francisco 49ers in the same window a year ago.

Taylor Swift has appeared on camera for a total of 123 seconds over the last four Kansas City Chiefs games (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/style/taylor-swift-nfl-broadcasts.html)

"A romance between the pop star and Travis Kelce has dominated social media, but TV broadcasts are focusing on it less than many seem to think," says The New York Times' Benjamin Hoffman, who actually measured Swift's on-screen appearances since Christmas. Last weekend, for Chiefs-Bills, Swift appeared for 24 seconds. For the Jan. 13 Chiefs-Dolphins game, she appeared for 1 minute and 16 seconds, for Chiefs-Bengals on New Year's Eve, she appeared for 12 seconds. And for Chiefs-Raiders on Christmas Day, she was shown for 14 seconds. As Sunday Night Football coordinating producer Rob Hyland explains: “It is always a balance with what’s happening on the field and how you can enhance what’s happening on the field. It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, let’s, let’s show her this many times.’ It was, ‘Hey, when appropriate, let’s remind the audience that she’s there.’”

A staggering number. The pressure on the NFL to expand the number of teams in the postseason, as well as add an 18th game to the regular season is going to be enormous.

Maybe the NFL should think about expansion, add four new teams, maybe a team in Canada (problem is that the CFL obviously doesn’t want this), Mexico City (problem there is who wants to play and live in Mexico) and London. I dont think London would be too hard of most of the teams they play are on the East Coast. Salt Lake City might be another choice and maybe St Louis if the fans can get over their anger about losing not one but two teams over the decades.

Australians love American football. Maybe a minor league like the now UFL (which was the XFL and USFL) could just move their operations to Australia and have them play there with eight teams.

Maybe the NFL should think about expansion, add four new teams, maybe a team in Canada (problem is that the CFL obviously doesn’t want this), Mexico City (problem there is who wants to play and live in Mexico) and London. I dont think London would be too hard of most of the teams they play are on the East Coast. Salt Lake City might be another choice and maybe St Louis if the fans can get over their anger about losing not one but two teams over the decades.

Australians love American football. Maybe a minor league like the now UFL (which was the XFL and USFL) could just move their operations to Australia and have them play there with eight teams.

The Commissioner's press conference raised clear warnings as to where the league is headed with respect to the postseason. They are headed to streaming and paywalls with the exception "for now" of the Super Bowl. The feckless wonders in Congress need to step in and make it clear to the NFL owners that the postseason must be available on over the air networks or the monopoly will be ended. No negotiation, no compromise, that's the price, it's take it or leave it.