Tonight’s playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins will only be shown on Peacock, a streaming service, excluding Kansas City and Miami markets. This marks the first time an NFL playoff game is exclusively available on a streaming platform. NBCUniversal, the company behind Peacock, sees this as a strategic move to attract more subscribers to their streaming service, which currently has around 30 million users.
NBCUniversal secured a $110 million deal with the NFL in May to stream one playoff game this season. In an effort to enhance the viewing experience and entice Peacock subscribers, NBCUniversal broadcasted last month’s Bills-Chargers game and plans to do the same with tonight’s playoff, without commercials in the fourth quarter, sacrificing potential ad revenue.
On Peacock’s website, they advertise this as “the first-ever exclusively streamed NFL playoff game” and offer a 50% discount on a one-year Peacock subscription. Despite these efforts, the exclusive Peacock arrangement has faced criticism from NFL fans on social media, including players like Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu. NBC Sports president Rick Cordella acknowledged the resistance to change but emphasized the significance of trying something new.
This move comes as sports organizations explore new partnerships with streaming platforms. The NFL began streaming games on Twitter in 2016 and, since 2022, Thursday Night Football is exclusively available on Amazon Prime Video. The Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game kicks off at 8 p.m. EST and will still be broadcast on local television in the Miami and Kansas City areas per NFL rules.