In a historic move, tonight's Wild Card matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock, a streaming service owned by NBCUniversal. This marks the first time that an NFL playoff game will be available only on a streaming platform, as NBCUniversal seeks to attract more subscribers to Peacock.

However, the decision has not been met with much enthusiasm from NFL fans. Many took to social media to express their displeasure, with Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu even voicing his frustration on X (formerly known as Twitter). Omenihu referred to the arrangement as "insane" and later offered to buy Peacock subscriptions for 90 Chiefs fans. The discontentment has even reached the political sphere, with Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) labeling the decision as "bait-and-switch BS."

This move comes as various sports organizations explore new partnerships with streaming platforms. Recently, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the importance of streaming in the future of the sport. The NFL itself ventured into streaming back in 2016 when Thursday Night Football games were live-streamed on Twitter. Subsequently, Amazon Prime Video started simulcasting these games in 2017, and in 2022, it became the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football.

Last year's six NFL Wild Card games drew an average of 28.4 million viewers when they were aired on traditional cable platforms nationwide. NBCUniversal aims to leverage the ongoing popularity of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his relationship with Taylor Swift, although it remains uncertain if Swift will be in attendance at tonight's game. The pop star has been present at five out of the last six Chiefs games.

The Chiefs versus Dolphins matchup is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. EST. While the game will be exclusively streamed on Peacock outside of the Miami and Kansas City markets, local television broadcasts in accordance with NFL rules will still be available in those specific areas.