Sports Media with Richard Deitsch The NFL Wild Card Games from a Sports Media Perspective
Jan 7, 2026
Jon Lewis, founder of Sports Media Watch, and Austin Karp, lead media reporter for Sports Business Journal, dive into the NFL Wild Card games from a media perspective. They discuss Prime Video's success with the Packers-Bears matchup, predicting viewership dynamics for various games. The trio explores the influence of prominent figures like Tom Brady and Troy Aikman taking on team roles while advising in media. They also analyze the ratings potential of college football playoff games, shedding light on emerging storylines and their impact on audience engagement.
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Prime Video's Big Play With Packers-Bears
- The Packers-Bears Wild Card on Prime Video is a strategic win that builds Amazon's long-term NFL relationship.
- Austin Karp argues Prime needs to clear ~20M viewers and could hit ~$23–24M for this marquee matchup.
Why Buffalo Is A Major TV Draw
- The Bills-Jaguars matchup is strong TV because Buffalo is a major national draw in the current NFL era.
- Jon Lewis notes Buffalo represents the current generation of top AFC draw teams alongside Kansas City and Baltimore.
Niners–Eagles Poised To Be The Weekend Peak
- Niners-Eagles on Fox likely becomes the weekend's biggest audience and could exceed 30M.
- Austin Karp and Jon Lewis expect this marquee Sunday window to be the highest-rated Wild Card game.