Chiefs vs. Dolphins in Germany draws near-record viewership as most-watched NFL morning game since 2015

The Chiefs' 21-14 win over the Dolphins in Frankfurt attracted 9.18 million viewers

For the second time in NFL history, Germany hosted a regular-season game as the Kansas City Chiefs raced to a 21-0 lead over the Miami Dolphins then staved off a fourth-quarter comeback attempt to prevail in their Week 9 matchup. It was yet another illustration of American football's viability internationally, as the game took place before a packed house of over 50,000 at Deutsche Bank Park.

 And back home, many, many more were watching as well.

According to Sports Media Watch, the Chiefs vs. Dolphins Week 9 matchup averaged a 4.8 rating and 9.18 million viewers, making it the most-watched morning game in NFL Network history, eviscerating the previous record set by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks' matchup in Germany just last year (5.5 million). It is also the highest-rated morning NFL game overall since 2015, when the Dolphins played the New York Jets in a game that averaged 9.86 million viewers on CBS.

The Chiefs-Dolphins game was the second-highest rated NFL game on cable this year, only behind the Jets' Week 1 opener against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, which averaged 10.96 million viewers. Beyond the NFL, the Chiefs-Dolphins game ranks third among sporting events since Game 7 of the NBA Finals earlier this year, trailing only Jets-Bills and Colorado's college football game against Colorado State in September.