ESPN delivered a historic audience milestone during its 2026 NFL Divisional Round coverage, turning Sunday afternoon into the most-watched moment in the network’s 46-year history and one of the most significant single telecasts across The Walt Disney Company’s sports portfolio.
The Texans–Patriots matchup aired Sunday and averaged nearly 38 million viewers. It officially became the most-watched event ever carried by ESPN. The broadcast surpassed every previous event since the network launched in 1979.
The game now stands as Disney’s most-watched sporting event outside the Super Bowl. That distinction was achieved across nearly three decades of live sports coverage.
Airing simultaneously on ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes, the Divisional Round averaged 37.97 million viewers across all platforms. ESPN and ABC alone accounted for 37.91 million viewers, with both figures setting new all-time records for ESPN.
The performance eclipsed every NFL game the network has carried since it began televising league games in 1987, including both regular-season and postseason contests.
The audience growth was equally notable. Viewership increased 12 percent compared to ESPN’s 2025 Divisional Round telecast and jumped 17 percent from the 2024 edition. That surge marks the third consecutive year that ESPN’s final NFL game of the season has established a new company record, reinforcing the network’s expanding reach during the league’s most meaningful moments.
Late-game drama pushed the broadcast even higher. The telecast peaked at 44.9 million viewers between 5:45 and 6 p.m. ET during the second half, a window that helped elevate the game beyond sports.
In fact, the Divisional Round matchup became Disney’s most-watched program of any kind since 2014, highlighting the NFL’s continued dominance across live television.
The success extended beyond a single game. Across its two postseason telecasts, the Wild Card and Divisional Round, ESPN averaged 32.8 million viewers. That figure marks its highest combined postseason average since launching a two-game playoff slate three years ago. That figure represents a 13 percent year-over-year increase and underscores the consistency of ESPN’s NFL postseason audience.
Sunday’s numbers also capped a strong 2025–26 NFL season for the network. Across 25 games, including Monday Night Football, Week 18, and postseason coverage, NFL on ESPN averaged 17.4 million viewers per game. That performance marked the second most-watched Monday Night Football season of the ESPN era.
Earlier in the day, Postseason NFL Countdown added to the momentum. The nearly three-hour pregame show averaged 6.1 million viewers across ABC and ESPN, climbing 26 percent year over year and setting the table for a historic afternoon of football viewing.
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