Outrage in NFL community over Peacock’s $110 million exclusive broadcasting contract for Chiefs Playoffs game: “We’re not buying”

Legendary quarterback Patrick Mahomes and veteran head coach Andy Reid led the Kansas City Chiefs to five straight AFC Championship games before the 2023 season. They haven’t even traveled for a road playoff game since the Mahomes-Reid tandem was in charge. However, the Chiefs’ predicted dynasty seems to be crumbling this season.

The Chiefs have been losing games terribly throughout the last few weeks, prompting Mahomes to get frustrated several times on the field. After securing their playoff run, the defending champion will be slated to play their wild card round against the Miami Dolphins. The match sparked controversy as the NFL decided to broadcast it via Peacock, NBC’s streaming service.

Peacock to broadcast Chiefs Playoffs game

The NFL playoffs are set to witness a new event as the Chiefs-Dolphins game will be exclusively streamed on Peacock, marking the first time a playoff game will solely air on a streaming platform in NFL history. With no traditional TV channel set to broadcast the clash, football enthusiasts will have to gear up themselves to witness this playoff action via digital means, via The Athletic.

The high-voltage game will only be available on NBC stations in the home cities of Kansas City and Miami. For fans outside these areas eager to catch the Chiefs opening playoff salvo, subscribing to Peacock becomes the only opportunity to join in on the gridiron excitement.

Peacock’s prior exclusive NFL broadcast on December 23, which witnessed the Buffalo Bills triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers, garnered immense attention with a substantial viewership of 7.3 million tuning in. The game’s peak viewership during the NFL’s inaugural commercial-free fourth quarter reportedly hit an average of 8.4 million.

Meanwhile, the showdown between the Chiefs and the Dolphins holds additional significance as it’s a rematch of the Week 9 encounter on Nov. 5 in London, where the defending champion emerged victorious. Adding further intrigue to the upcoming clash is the return of explosive wide receiver Tyreek Hill to Kansas City after his trade to the Miami Dolphins before the 2022 season. Hill’s return to his former home turf spices up the narrative, especially given his MVP-level performance this season.

NFL community upset over Peacock’s broadcasting contract

Peacock earlier signed a contract with the NFL and paid them almost $110 million to broadcast the first-ever exclusive, live-streamed playoff game. The league will undoubtedly try their best to protect the interests of the streaming platform by giving them the best chance to amass enough cash. Hence, they intentionally decided to place one of the most popular teams based on viewership, the Chiefs vs Dolphins match, in that primetime window.

The Chiefs matches are gaining huge viewership this season, partly due to the dating of the team’s tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift. Many fans speculated how the league used that opportunity to boost their partnership value.

A netizen wrote, “The NFL making the Chiefs playoff game the Peacock only game, so all the Swifties have to pay for it.”

Peacock used to offer a free trial, although the opportunity is gone now. The cheapest way to watch anything on this platform will require signing up for a $5.99 monthly subscription or $59.99 per year. The NFL community was definitely not happy with the update.
A user wrote, “obviously we’re not happy we have to play for peacock just to watch a playoff game.”

Some even pointed out how this move will snatch away the opportunity from people who are enjoying the match and are in an economic crisis.

A person wrote, “I just feel bad for the kids that can’t watch a football game because their parents can’t afford 10 different streaming subscriptions.”

Meanwhile, many fans have openly claimed that they are not going to pay to watch the match.

A netizen wrote, “Use me as we’re not buying Peacock button.”

Scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET at the revered Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, the Chiefs vs Dolphins clash will definitely be something to watch, especially given both team’s recent struggles. Are you going to subscribe to Peacock to enjoy the high-voltage match? Tell us in the comments.