The highly-anticipated Week 4 showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots delivered extraordinary numbers for CBS on Monday.
The game, which was initially scheduled to take place on Sunday, had to be moved back a day after Patriots quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19. The league gave the two teams the green light to play on Monday when ensuing tests on the other players came back negative.
According to Sports Media Watch, the Chiefs-Patriots game "averaged an 8.3 rating and 14.60 million viewer." This was slightly lower than the NBC Sunday Night Football broadcast featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, which averaged 15.08 million viewers.
Per Sports Media Watch, this is the best audience for a primetime CBS show since the presidential primary debate on Feb. 25, which drew 15.34 million viewers.
The Chiefs overcame a sloppy first half on offense and won 26-10, as the Patriots struggled offensively with backup quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham.
In comparison, the Monday Night Football showdown on ESPN, featuring the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons, averaged 8.65 million viewers, per sports Media Watch.
The Chiefs-Patriots rivalry has taken off since Patrick Mahomes took over as Kansas City's starting quarterback, and ratings for this matchup has been a boom for CBS. Last year's Week 14 meeting between the two teams in December drew 28.3 million viewers on the network.
NBC broadcasted the 2017 and 2018 regular season meetings between the two teams. CBS got the 2018 AFC Championship Game between the two teams plus the two most recent regular season showdowns. So if they face off again next year, NBC will likely get the broadcast rights.
The Chiefs will look to stay undefeated when they host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, while the Patriots will attempt to get back in the win column when they welcome the Denver Broncos to Gillette Stadium.