ESPN Sets All-Time Viewership Record with Texans

Sunday afternoon football just rewrote the record books. ESPN’s NFL Divisional Round coverage delivered a historic ratings performance, as the Texans–Patriots matchup became the most-watched event in the network’s history.

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Drawing nearly 38 million viewers and peaking close to 45 million, the game not only set a new ESPN benchmark but also emerged as Disney’s most-watched sporting event outside of the Super Bowl, marking the 2026 postseason as one of the most powerful moments in the company’s live sports legacy.
Aired on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. ET across ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes, the Texans–Patriots Divisional Round showdown averaged 37.965 million viewers, making it the most-watched ESPN telecast since the network’s launch in 1979. Across ESPN and ABC alone, the audience reached 37.907 million, reinforcing the game’s place atop ESPN’s all-time viewership rankings.
The performance also stands as Disney’s most-watched sporting event outside of Super Bowls, surpassing long-standing benchmarks like the 2006 Rose Bowl on ABC and highlighting the continued growth of the NFL’s postseason audience across ESPN platforms.
The record-setting audience reflects a clear upward trend for ESPN’s NFL coverage:
- Up 12% from ESPN’s 2025 Divisional Round matchup (Texans–Chiefs)
- Up 17% from the 2024 Divisional Round (Texans–Ravens)
This marks the third consecutive year ESPN’s final NFL game of the season has set a new company record, underscoring the sustained momentum of the network’s postseason presentations.
Fan engagement surged late in the game, with viewership peaking at 44.9 million viewers between 5:45 and 6 p.m. ET during the second half. The spike further demonstrates the event’s ability to capture a massive national audience at its most dramatic moments.
Beyond sports, the Texans–Patriots telecast stands as Disney’s most-watched program of any kind since 2014, placing it among the company’s most significant television events of the past decade.
Across ESPN’s two postseason games, the Wild Card and Divisional Round, the network averaged 32.8 million viewers, the highest combined postseason average since ESPN began airing two NFL playoff games three seasons ago. The figure represents a 13% year-over-year increase, reinforcing the strength of ESPN’s playoff window.
The record-breaking Divisional Round caps an exceptional 2025–26 NFL campaign for ESPN. The network delivered Monday Night Football’s second most-watched season in the ESPN era, and across 25 total NFL telecasts, including MNF, Week 18, and postseason games, NFL on ESPN averaged 17.4 million viewers per game.
Viewers tuned in early, with Postseason NFL Countdown drawing more than 6.1 million viewers across ABC and ESPN. Airing from noon to 2:45 p.m. ET, the nearly three-hour pregame show saw a 26% year-over-year increase, with both editions leading directly into ESPN’s Divisional Round coverage.

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Texans–Patriots Divisional Round Sets All-Time Viewership Record for ESPN

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