Peacock and the NFL's big streaming bet pays off as Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game set a US viewership record

• The Kansas-Miami Wild Card game on Saturday was available exclusively on Peacock.
• Viewers could watch the NFL playoff game only if they downloaded and paid for the streaming app.

The Saturday NFL playoff game where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins wasn't the only win that night. The game also set a record for the most streamed US event, averaging 23 million views, according to Comcast.

Until now, the NFL had yet to test out placing any major games exclusively on a streaming platform.

Maybe fans tuned in to watch the 26-7 Kansas victory or to see Taylor Swift cheering on Chef's athlete Travis Kelce from a private booth.

Either way, they had to download the NBCUniversal streaming app Peacock and pay a $6 subscription fee to tune into the Wild Card game — as it wasn't broadcast on TV.

The Peacock and NFL bet was planned last year after NBCUniversal paid the NFL $110 million to hold a streaming-only playoff game.

The first-ever live-streamed playoff game hit 27.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. The test paid off for the Peacock, which until now has been an underdog in the streaming wars.

The game also led to Peacock's largest single-day in audience usage, engagement, and time spent, with a record 16.3 million concurrent devices, according to NBCUniversal.

"We couldn't be prouder of our partnership with Peacock and are thrilled with the results of the first-ever exclusively live-streamed NFL playoff game," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "To best serve our fans, we need to ensure games are available to them as their viewing habits change, and this includes digital distribution as we continue to help shape the future of the sports and entertainment industry."