Broadcasting Executive Reveals Key to Chiefs vs. Cowboys on Thanksgiving

It seems that every year, the league sets a viewership record in some capacity, most recently when the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl in February.

The Chiefs, despite their small market, have blossomed into the most anticipated shows in the sport. With the best player in the sport, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the storylines that come with a dynasty, the eyes of the nation fall on Kansas City every season, either out of love, hate, or intrigue.

Mahomes’ dominance has made his games the main attraction of every Sunday slate, but tight end Travis Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift has accelerated Kansas City into an unprecedented level of relevance.

On “Up & Adams,” the NFL’s vice president of broadcasting, Mike North, revealed the key to scheduling the Chiefs against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

“Anybody who’s been watching football for the last few years know that the Chiefs have almost kind of surpassed the Cowboys, really as the bell cow,” North said. “And this is what happens when you’re (a) pop culture part of the fabric of the country right now. And this is par for the course for the Chiefs.”

The league doesn’t need Kansas City to get massive attention on Turkey Day. But featuring the Chiefs, and by nature, Swift, the NFL could go nuclear by the time dinner is served.

“Yeah,” North said, “and if Taylor wants to come, we’ll make sure there’s a seat for her.”

One of the perks (or slights) of being the Chiefs is the prime-time games on the schedule. Kansas City will play seven prime-time games, not including the standalone late-afternoon contest on Thanksgiving.

The Chiefs will presumably be favored, although facing quarterback Dak Prescott and a well-oiled offensive machine could make for the kind of thriller that filled the 2024 campaign.

With Swift in attendance – and perhaps performing – Kansas City might help rewrite the record books.

“You could afford to spend one of the big ones, and probably doesn’t get any bigger in the league right now than KC-Dallas,” North said. “They’re the two most-viewed teams in the league. That’s where most of our top games. What are we 93 of the top 100 most watched games (in 2024). Good chunk of those are Cowboys and Chiefs games. Put them together. Put them on Thanksgiving.

“Maybe we can get Taylor to sing the national anthem. We can get people involved beyond just us avid, hardcore football fans who are going to watch anything.”

The Chiefs have not played on Thanksgiving since 2006 when they beat the Denver Broncos 19-10.