The 2026 NFL Playoffs: A Success Despite Adverse Circumstances

By: Alex Wutzke

February 16, 2026

Photo Credit: Seattle Times

At The Onset

The start of the playoffs saw 2 of the NFL’s biggest stars, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, both sitting on the sideline for the first time since 2017. On top of this, 5 teams playing on Wild Card Weekend had 6 or less wins last season. With these adverse circumstances, there was still plenty of intrigue. Many of these games had tight spreads and 5 of the top 10 teams by valuation according to Forbes would be playing. These factors created a buzz for the playoffs that hadn’t been seen in years.

Wild Card Weekend

On the Field

With all the intrigue these games brought, they delivered on the hype and more. 4 of the 6 games were decided by one score and all of these games also featured 4th quarter comebacks. The biggest of which was an 18 point halftime deficit that was erased by the Bears versus their rival Green Bay Packers. In the NFC, the Rams and 49ers also moved on. In the AFC, the 2 seed Patriots handled the Chargers, the 6 seed Bills upset the Jaguars, and the Texans blew out the Steelers.

Off the Field

The hype and tight games resulted in one of the best wild card weekends by ratings of all time. The 6 games averaged 31.9 million viewers, up 13% from a down 2025 Wild Card weekend. This number is the best for the 6 game format and 4th best overall since ratings began tracking in 1988. While FOX and CBS still performed the best, with their games drawing 41 million and 32.7 million average viewers, respectively, Amazon Prime put up their best performance ever, with 31.6 million average viewers in the epic Bears comeback win. This marks a big win for streaming and its future role in broadcasting the NFL playoffs. If services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Peacock can attempt to and keep attracting marquee timeslots and matchups during the playoffs, they could very soon overtake the traditional network channels (NBC, CBS, FOX) as the premier destination to watch the NFL playoffs.

Divisional Round

On the Field

Continuing the theme of tight matchups, half the games in the divisional round went to overtime. In the AFC, the Patriots beat the Texans in an ugly matchup featuring 8 total turnovers. The Broncos narrowly edged the Bills in overtime on a walk off field goal. In the NFC, the Seahawks decimated the 49ers and the Rams also hit a walk off field goal against the Bears (despite a miraculous 18 yard touchdown by Chicago’s QB Caleb Williams with 18 seconds left in regulation).

Off the Field

The hype and tight matchups led to the continuation of momentum from Wild Card Weekend. The 4 game slate averaged 39.2 million viewers, the second highest ever recorded. This was especially a success for NBC, who saw their Sunday night slate of Bears vs. Rams reach a peak of 52.6 million viewers and average the most viewers ever for a divisional round game. It was also the most watched prime time event since last February’s Super Bowl. The divisional round also saw a newer trend in NFL playoff commercials. Some companies began introducing continuation commercials that would build in storyline week over week until delivering a “finale” during the Super Bowl. Lays’ “Homegrown” commercial that depicted a family owned potato farm and started by showing a young girl assisting her father on their farm was an extension of this, ending with an ad during the Super Bowl about his retirement and her taking over control of the farm. This proved to be a relative success and could be a theme for larger companies during the playoffs in the future.

Conference Round

On the Field

In the AFC, the one seed Broncos were taking on the 2 seed Patriots. In the NFC, two NFC West opponents, the Seahawks and Rams were looking to take the decisive matchup against their rival. The AFC matchup was a tightly contested defensive battle that was impacted by a blizzard hitting the stadium in the second half. The Patriots were able to kick a field goal right before the onset of the blizzard and held onto that lead, winning 10-7. The NFC saw a back and forth matchup that saw the one seed Seahawks just come out on top, 31-27.

Off the Field

Despite the rest of the playoff’s success and both matchups being one score games featuring top seeds, the ratings saw an overall dip compared to previous seasons. The collective average of 47.4 million was the lowest since 2021. While this is slightly concerning, there were a few external factors that worked against the NFL. Firstly, the blizzard that impacted the second half of the Broncos-Patriots game was part of a larger winter storm across the country. While typically severe weather events that keep people in their homes are good for viewership, this storm was so severe that the NFL lost a lot of viewers in large group settings, like bars, house parties, and other social events. Secondly, the NFC championship featuring two teams on the west coast caused a decrease in viewership in the east. This is an especially harmful market to lose viewership in due to the eastern United States being much more densely populated.

The Super Bowl

On the Field

In a season that was filled with upsets, comebacks, and odd storylines, the Super Bowl concluded with none of it. The favored Seahawks were the better team throughout the game and quickly squashed any chance at a comeback after Julian Love’s 4th quarter interception. They would go on to win 29-13 (a score that was closer then the game really was) and Kenneth Walker would be named MVP.

Off the Field

Both ticket prices and advertisement costs reached record highs, continuing soaring cost trends seen over the past few years. The average price for a ticket was around $8100 and the average cost for a 30 second commercial slot was $8 million. Another record setting performance was Bad Bunny’s halftime show. Which despite having some competition, drew 128.2 million viewers becoming the 4th most watched halftime show of all time. The game itself averaged 124.9 million viewers, slightly behind last year’s record breaking total, but still 2nd most all time.

Conclusion

Despite a lack of the traditional stars, the 2026 NFL playoffs proved to be a success for both the NFL and the networks/services that cover it. This season shows how the average viewer typically enjoys parity and intrigue over having the same stars and teams being overutilized each year. While all of the traditional cable networks beat out streaming services in terms of average viewership, the gap is growing tighter year over year and if this trend continues we will likely see even more playoff games switching to streaming platforms in the years to come. With the growing popularity and subsequent cost of attending playoff games, it’s becoming harder and harder for the average NFL fan to enjoy a playoff environment in person. I sadly expect this to continue with the average audience for these games shifting away from true fans and more towards A-List celebrities and other influential figures in the future. This holds especially true for the Super Bowl, which seems to break viewership records every year. This year, more than ever, the event felt jam packed with every former athlete, pop singer, and Hollywood star under the sun. While this is wonderful news for the NFL and their marketing, this should be a concerning sign for the average fan.