We are on the doorstep of the Super Bowl. The NFL playoff bracket spit out the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks to represent the AFC and NFC, respectively, in the big game on Feb. 8.
This postseason has delivered iconic moments, including a vintage Matthew Stafford game-winning drive on the road against the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round, a jaw-dropping, fourth-down touchdown heave from Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams to force overtime versus Stafford's Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round and a game-changing blizzard in Denver that the Patriots navigated to beat the Broncos and win the AFC championship.
These playoffs averaged 37 million viewers, according to NFL Media, which reported Wednesday that those numbers are the league's second highest in the postseason over the past 10 years.
Eight of the 12 matchups were decided by one score, including both conference title games.
🚨NFL Playoffs Viewership🚨
— NFL Media (@NFLMedia) January 28, 2026
This year's @NFL playoffs averaged 37.0 million viewers -- 2nd most-watched playoffs in the last 10 years!
🏈Up +5% vs. last year's playoffs
🏈Ranks as 6th highest playoff average on record
The 2023 season's playoffs still hold the top spot. Two years ago, the league reported that slate of postseason games made up the NFL's most-watched playoffs, at least since 1988, when tracking began.
Those averaged 38.5 million viewers, per the league. As a refresher, that season the Kansas City Chiefs outlasted the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC championship that left the mistake-ridden Ravens asking "what if?" Meanwhile, Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers rallied from 17 points down in the NFC title game to end the Detroit Lions' storybook run.
Also that season, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen dueled again, with a missed 44-yard Tyler Bass field-goal attempt in the final two minutes spelling doom for the Bills in a three-point, divisional-round loss.
This season's playoffs were up 5% in viewership compared to last season's playoffs and were responsible for the sixth-highest playoff viewership average on record, according to NFL Media.
The divisional-round games averaged 39.2 million viewers, per The Associated Press, not far off the round's record of 40 million average viewers that was set during the 2023 season's playoffs.
