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Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals towards the Tennessee Titans in the course of the AFC Divisional Playoff at Nissan Stadium on January 22, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Andy Lyons | Getty Photos
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have their greatest star in Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However the Cincinnati Bengals could be the higher AFC workforce for the 2022 Tremendous Bowl among the many remaining Nationwide Soccer League playoff groups, at the very least in keeping with Finest Purchase.
In a be aware to prospects this week, Loop Capital Markets sought to find out which Tremendous Bowl LVI match would drive probably the most new TV and residential theater gross sales on the retailer. It concluded {that a} match between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams would profit the retailer probably the most.
Loop Capital used “metropolitan statistical space” metrics to assist decide the inhabitants dimension of a metropolis and surrounding counties. The mixed MSA for Cincinnati and Los Angeles is 15.5 million. The mixed 36 years since their final Tremendous Bowl look — 33 of these years within the Bengals’ absence — would additionally favor potential gross sales, Loop mentioned.
The agency determined {that a} Chiefs-49ers contest could be “the least fascinating consequence” for Finest Purchase, on condition that it had solely been three years because the groups final performed within the Tremendous Bowl and native fan populations are smaller total.
The NFL has had one in all its most-watched playoff weekends following the Chiefs’ thrilling win over the Buffalo Payments. The sport averaged 42.7 million viewers and peaked at greater than 51 million individuals watching as Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 42-36 victory.
The Chiefs star led a drive with 13 seconds remaining within the fourth quarter to maintain the sport at 36. He additionally threw the game-winning landing in additional time to steer the workforce to its fourth straight AFC Championship. CBS Sports activities’ broadcast was the most-watched divisional postseason recreation on any community since 2017.
On Saturday, the community additionally broadcast the Bengals’ playoff win over the top-seeded Tennessee Titans. This recreation averaged 30.7 million viewers and peaked at 38.3 million.
So why the Bengalis?
Loop appreciated that the “nationwide curiosity” amongst soccer followers would favor to see Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, noting that he was additionally “solely two years away from successful a nationwide school championship.” And Rams first-year quarterback Matt Stafford “would generate fairly a little bit of curiosity, too.”
The workforce received its first playoff recreation in 31 years after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders in wildcard competitors on Jan. 15. Though the Bengals have appeared twice within the Tremendous Bowl (1981 and 1988 seasons), the Bengals have by no means received an NFL championship.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs seems on previous to Tremendous Bowl LV vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida.
Kevin C Cox | Getty Photos Sports activities | Getty Photos
Mahomes’ revenge can be fascinating
However the nationwide curiosity is not utterly ruling out the Chiefs.
Mahomes v Stafford was the second-best matchup on the be aware. The mixed MSA of those two NFL citations is 15.4 million. Moreover, Finest Purchase’s “33 shops within the mixed fanbase areas could be the very best of the potential matches,” wrote Anthony Chukumba, managing director of Loop Capital.
And the Chiefs know all about droughts on the Tremendous Bowl.
The workforce received its first NFL title in 50 years in 2020 after defeating the 49ers in Tremendous Bowl LIV. Earlier than that, the final time the Chiefs final appeared in a Tremendous Bowl was 1970. Nevertheless, the Chiefs didn’t make a repeat final yr, falling to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Loop estimates there could be nationwide consideration as Mahomes makes an attempt to redeem the Chiefs and be a part of the roster of a number of Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterbacks of their fifth yr within the NFL.
Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes in the course of the recreation towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the NFC Divisional Playoff recreation at Lambeau Area on January 22, 2022 in Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin.
Michael Zagaris | Getty Photos
No love for the 49ers
Though the Chiefs, Bengals and Rams Loops are favored groups who would favor extra tv gross sales for Finest Purchase, the corporate reveals little love for the 49ers. That is slightly shocking on condition that the 49ers are one of many extra widespread NFL groups.
The 49ers’ wildcard win over the Dallas Cowboys drew 41.5 million viewers. Final week’s win over the Inexperienced Bay Packers attracted 36.9 million viewers. And the workforce’s loss to the Chiefs within the 2020 Tremendous Bowl drew 100 million viewers on NBC Sports activities, the community host of this yr’s Tremendous Bowl in Los Angeles.
Final season’s Tremendous Bowl recreation between Mahomes and Brady was the worst since 2007, with simply 96.4 million viewers.
The 49ers even have huge receiver Deebo Samuel who’s quick changing into a rising star. However Loop reckons a Bengals-49ers contest could be “suboptimal” for Finest Purchase based mostly on the mixed MSA of roughly 7 million individuals dwelling within the Cincinnati and San Francisco areas.
Loops famous Finest Purchase’s 26 shops within the mixed territories, and with the “notable exception of Burrow, we predict nationwide curiosity within the recreation could be pretty restricted — particularly given the pretty descriptive record of 49ers (together with Garoppolo) who maintain coming again.” seen as yet another mediocre recreation by shedding his beginning job.”
In the meantime, because of the mixed 6.9 million MSA inhabitants and potential Chiefs fatigue, a Tremendous Bowl LIV rematch would signify “the worst of the 4 alternatives for Finest Purchase tv gross sales” given the workforce’s two straight Tremendous Bowls has.
“Whereas the Chiefs have well-known gamers like Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, we consider the aforementioned largely ‘no title’ record of the 49ers would pressure reporters to work additional time to give you compelling nationwide ‘storylines.’ “
“On the plus aspect,” Loop concluded, “because the 49ers eradicated the Inexperienced Bay Packers, a attainable Tremendous Bowl boycott by ‘immunized’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not a attainable overhang.”
Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the mum or dad firm of CNBC.
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