CBS releases Broncos-Bills ratings, the number is record-smashing

The Denver Broncos’ thrilling 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round didn’t just send the franchise to its first AFC Championship Game in a decade — it also drew the largest audience for a Saturday playoff game in NFL history.

CBS averaged 39.6 million viewers for the game, according to data released Wednesday, topping last year’s comparable divisional round matchup — Texans-Chiefs on ESPN and ABC — by 17%.

The viewership peaked at nearly 51.3 million during overtime, when Wil Lutz drilled a 47-yard field goal to send the Broncos to the conference championship. The game also became the most-watched Saturday telecast on any network since the 1994 Winter Olympics and the most-watched Saturday afternoon telecast in U.S. television history.

“NFL ON CBS” Makes History with the Most-Watched Saturday NFL Playoff Game Ever

🏈Nearly 40 million viewers, surpassing all previous Saturday games, including primetime
🏈Peaked with more than 51 million viewers
🏈Most-watched Saturday telecast on any network since 1994 Winter… pic.twitter.com/S8fBjjdbEA

— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) January 21, 2026

The eye-popping number is the latest in a season-long trend of the Broncos driving massive audiences to screens.

Denver’s Week 11 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs drew 29 million viewers, ranking fifth among the most-watched games of the 2025 regular season. Their Christmas night victory over Kansas City — a 20-13 win that averaged 21.06 million viewers on Prime Video — set a record for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football package since it became exclusive to the streamer in 2022.

Earlier in the season, the Broncos’ Week 5 game against the Philadelphia Eagles helped CBS draw 19.6 million viewers, its best singleheader window since 2013.

With the divisional round numbers in, CBS is posting its best-ever NFL season, averaging 22.3 million viewers per game.

CBS’ last broadcast of this season is the Broncos next game, hosting the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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