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CHIEFS, BILLS SET AFC TITLE GAME RECORD WITH 57.4M VIEWERS

Mahomes vs. Allen is the gift that keeps giving for CBS and the NFL, as their latest scrap notched an all-time ratings high.
PHOTO BY JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGES

After conspiring to deliver the biggest regular-season ratings for a Sunday NFL game this season, the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs reconvened last weekend for what would prove to be the most-watched AFC championship game on the books.

According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, Kansas City’s 32-29 win over the Bills in the conference title tilt averaged 57.4 million viewers on CBS, edging last year’s short-lived record (55.5 million, Chiefs-Ravens). The nail-biter in Arrowhead Stadium now stands as the third-biggest NFL semifinal of the modern Nielsen era, trailing only the 2010 NFC championship game (Vikings-Saints, 57.9 million viewers) and the 2012 Giants-49ers broadcast (57.6 million), both of which aired on Fox in a time before out-of-home impressions sweetened the TV ratings pot.

The rivalry between two of the league’s most electrifying quarterbacks has been a godsend for CBS ever since Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes first met up in the 2021 AFC championship game. While that Chiefs’ 38-24 victory averaged a respectable 41.8 million viewers, that broadcast was only the beginning, as the following year saw the two foes scare up 42.7 million viewers in the divisional round, an overtime-enhanced figure that would be topped two years later in another divisional-round showstopper (50.4 million).

In a tune-up for Sunday’s playoff clash, the Bills and Chiefs teamed up in Week 11 to deliver the strongest non-Thanksgiving numbers of the regular season, as Buffalo handed KC its first loss of the 2024-25 campaign in front of a national TV audience of 31.1 million viewers.

While the class of the AFC had America on the edge of its collective seat during the primetime window, the early Commanders-Eagles game on Fox suffered from a comparable lack of suspense. Philly’s 55-23 deconstruction of Washington averaged 44.2 million viewers, marking the NFC’s lowest turnout since the Rams-Saints 2019 title game drew 44.1 million. Oddly enough, that earlier game was a relative barnburner, as Los Angeles fought back from a 13-0 deficit before matters were settled by a 57-yard field goal in overtime.

Per Nielsen, 58% of all U.S. TVs that were in use while the Commanders-Eagles game was underway were tuned to Fox.

Fox faced particularly rough comps with last season’s analogous broadcast, which featured the Detroit Lions’ first trip to the NFC championship game in 32 years. The Lions’ quixotic quest for a Super Bowl date scared up 56.7 million viewers, and now stands as the fourth most-watched Championship Sunday on record.

All told, deliveries for the 12 NFL playoff games were down 8% versus last season’s lineup, as the league’s media partners averaged 35 million viewers per window, which works out to a net loss of 3.1 million impressions per game. The league’s regular-season ratings held up better, with slippage confined to a 2% dip.

Of the top 20 most-watched AFC/NFC championship games on the books, seven were played after Nielsen began blending the out-of-home ratings impressions with its vanilla TV data in the fall of 2020. That more inclusive method of counting the house should give Fox a leg up on Super Sunday; not only have OOH deliveries over the last five years accounted for about 20% of all Super Bowl impressions, but the upcoming Chiefs-Eagles clash is expected to get a further boost care of Nielsen’s expanded OOH panel.

While Nielsen has yet to confirm that it has beefed up its legacy OOH reporting system beyond the 44 media markets it currently monitors, bringing its coverage from approximately 65% of all users to an even 100%, an official announcement is expected to land shortly before Super Bowl LIX kicks off in New Orleans on Feb.

- ANTHONY CRUPI

SIXERS REPORTEDLY TALKING 'ALL POTENTIAL OPTIONS SERIOUSLY' WITH NEW ARENA, 'INCLUDING [NEW JERSEY]'

Could the Sixers’ efforts to get a new arena land them on the Camden Waterfront? It seems like it might be picking up steam.

Last week, the city of Philadelphia put out an independent study regarding the Sixers’ proposal for a new arena at Market East in Center City.

While most of the study helped the Sixers’ cause, the biggest sticking point continues to be the project’s impact on Chinatown. We highlighted those concerns in a previous post.

If the end result is that the city chooses not to green light 76 Place, it will be the second time the Sixers tried to build a new arena within the city. The previous unsuccessful attempt was a couple years ago when the team proposed an arena near Penn’s Landing. The city instead awarded the land to the New York-based Durst Organization. The Durst Organization has yet to begin development.

The Sixers are in a tight spot if they want to get their new arena done by 2031 when their lease at the Wells Fargo Center ends.

With options dwindling in the city of Philadelphia, could the team look across the Delaware River? A report from ROI-NJ’s Tom Bergeron is giving legs to the idea that the Sixers could turn to Camden and the state of New Jersey to meet their needs.

Bergeron has previously reported that Governor Phil Murphy would welcome the Sixers with open arms — and why not? Bringing an NBA franchise to South Jersey would be a huge boon for the state, specifically the city of Camden. The Sixers already have their state-of-the-art practice facility on the waterfront. Harris-Blitzer Sports & Entertainment already owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. New Jersey also hosts two NFL teams in the Giants and Jets (those teams still carry “New York” in front of their names, for what it’s worth). The dots aren’t difficult to connect.

While HBSE would still fund the construction of a new arena in New Jersey, they could be eligible for significant tax breaks, per Bergeron.

“The project, which would be self-financed by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (the entity that owns the Sixers), would be eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives.

Because the project would contain both an arena and a full-scale mixed-use component, HBSE could be eligible to receive two Aspire tax credits worth up to $400 million each.

In addition, the Governor’s Office aims to work with the Legislature to enable the structuring of up to $500 million of special-purpose bonds supported by fees and surcharges on tickets, concessions and parking (meaning there will be no impact to New Jersey taxpayers) to support the development of an arena.”

Jersey wants the Sixers and it sure sounds like the Sixers are more open to wanting Jersey with each setback with the city of Philadelphia.

- Paul Hudrick

GIANTS VS. DODGERS | MLB ⚾ HIGHLIGHTS

GIANTS AND PA ANNOUNCER RENEL BROOKS-MOON PART WAYS AFTER 24 YEARS

AP Photo 

 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants and longtime public-address announcer Renel Brooks-Moon are parting ways after the sides failed to reach agreement on a contract extension.

The Giants said Monday there were “extensive discussions” about a new deal after Brooks-Moon’s contract ended in December, but instead “they mutually and amicably agreed to part ways.”

Brooks-Moon was one of baseball's first Black female PA announcers and now will be the club's public address announcer emeritus, still representing the Giants in the community as a volunteer, activist and mentor.

The booth at Oracle Park will be named in her honor.

Brooks-Moon thanked fans and wished her successor well, along with new manager Bob Melvin as the team prepares for the 2024 season.

“As a Bay Area native, it has been the honor of my lifetime to serve on the mic, and in the community for the Giants for 24 years,” Brooks-Moon said in a statement. “My very first game on April 11, 2000, I shall never forget because the job has always been bigger than me. Representation matters, and it is my great hope that my time in the booth has inspired little girls, young women and people of color to pursue their dreams even if those dreams seem impossible, because impossible dreams can come true."

Brooks-Moon became the first female public-address announcer for a World Series in 2002, and she also was the first woman to work the PA mic for a championship in any major sport.

“Renel has been the familiar and inspirational voice for generations of players and fans at Oracle Park,” Giants CEO Larry Baer said. “As an ambassador for the organization and a respected leader, Renel has been a Giant voice in the ballpark and in the community, and will be a Forever Giant. It will be a fitting tribute to name the PA booth in her honor.”

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES HANG ON TO BEAT NY GIANTS ON CHRISTMAS

AP

PHILADELPHIA -- After nearly letting a 17-point halftime lead slip away for good, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants 33-25 on Christmas. It was their 12th consecutive victory over the Giants and snapped a three-game losing streak. Now at 11-4, the win also keeps the Eagles as the favorite to win the NFC East.

The Giants, meanwhile, fell to 5-10 and could once again be turning to a new starter at quarterback after Tommy DeVito was benched at halftime for backup Tyrod Taylor.

Here's a breakdown of the Christmas clash:

NEW YORK GIANTS FANS BOO TAYLOR SWIFT AD AT METLIFE ...during 'MNF'

 

Getty

The crowd at MetLife Stadium was pretty "mean" to Taylor Swift during Monday Night Football ... with New York Giants supporters booing the hell out of an ad for the NFL's newest superfan amid her budding relationship with Travis Kelce."

Swift's presence at the past two Kansas City Chiefs games has been the biggest story in football ... and the league has leaned heavily into the craze, even using her name and image across its social media platforms.

Giants fans made it clear they were fed up with the Tayvis hype during the primetime matchup ... 'cause when a promo for Swift's "Eras" tour movie showed up on the big screen, a ton of folks in the stands let out some jeers.

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