NFL Admits Chiefs' Popularity is Now 'Cowboys-Level'

For the last several decades, the Dallas Cowboys were seen as the standard for success in the NFL. Say what you want about Jerry Jones & Co., but there's no denying that the Cowboys are one of the most popular sports franchises on the planet. From being a daily topic on most sports shows to seeing the logo everywhere, there's almost no escaping the Cowboys.

Having said that, Dallas hasn't won a Super Bowl in nearly 30 years, opening up the door for a new team to steal the moniker of 'America's Team'.' The Kansas City Chiefs have excelled at stealing that title in recent years, proven by their three title runs in the last five seasons.

While Chiefs fans have had no issue realizing their team's popularity, it seems like the NFL is finally ready to admit who the most popular team in the league is.

Chiefs News: NFL Admits to Kansas City's Popularity

On Thursday, NFL Vice President of Broadcast Planning Mike North spoke during a league media call to discuss the newly released 2024 season schedule. Not only did North talk about what goes into making the annual schedule, but he also discussed how the Chiefs' popularity affects the planning.

The VP of Broadcast Planning even went as far as saying that the Chiefs are a "Cowboys-level" asset regarding the schedule's creation, per Arrowhead Pride's Pete Sweeney.

The Cowboys, whether they've been good or bad, tend to draw massive national ratings no matter who they face. With the Chiefs in the middle of establish a modern-day dynasty, it's clear that the NFL sees Kansas City having the same effect.

"&Knowing that everybody’s going get a certain number of them, being able to pull two Kansas City games out of the mix, put them in a TBD-black box kind of holding spot for the Saturday-Wednesday round robin at the end, we wanted to make sure that we still felt like we could deliver quality.";"

- Mike North via Pete Sweeney

North also appeared on Thursday's episode of the "Rich Eisen Show" to further discuss the schedule. He mentioned how the schedule makers will start with a big-name team like the Chiefs and if a broadcaster already has one of their best games on the schedule, it makes sense to give the next-best matchup to another station.

He also added how if a channel already has one great Kansas City matchup, two lesser Chiefs tilts might be enough to satisfy another broadcaster.

The Cowboys first earned the 'America's Team' nickname due to their heavy presence on national broadcasts throughout the 1970s. Having said that, it might be time for that moniker to be given to the Chiefs, who have been rising in popularity ever since Patrick Mahomes joined the franchise. Three Super Bowl runs furthered that national appeal, which has only grown even more now that global icon Taylor Swift is attached to the franchise via Travis Kelce.

According to Nielsen, the Chiefs were involved in seven of the 32 most-watched American television broadcasts in 2023. It's no wonder that broadcasters argue over who should get which Kansas City games in any given season.

Time will tell if the 2024 NFL season further increases the Chiefs' popularity. They currently own the second-best Super Bowl LIX odds (+600) on FanDuel Sportsbook and becoming the first-ever franchise to pull off a three-peat would likely bring Kanas City's reputation and fame to a new stratosphere.

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