Stephen A. Smith defends NFL decision to force millions to sign up for Peacock to watch Patrick Mahomes - “We have to give Roger Goodell credit”

Patrick Mahomes was not the center of discussion of a blowout playoff win over another AFC hopeful last weekend. Rather, fans dumped complaints and hatred at the league for forcing fans to sign up for another subscription service to watch an NFL game. It wasn't just a regular season showdown, either.

Some fans spend the first chunk of the game signing up for the service. Others ran from sports bar to sports bar in an attempt to find one that had the game playing. The experience for millions was an unwelcome one for fans, to say the least.

However, speaking on "First Take," Stephen A. Smith came out in defense of the move. Here's how he put it on Wednesday:

"[00:00:53] Over 30 million people watched. ... We have to give Roger Goodell and the NFL credit for what they did. [00:01:14]"

Patrick Mahomes swells additional revenue stream for NFL, NBC

Patrick Mahomes at AFC Wild Card Playoffs - Miami Dolphins v Kansas City Chiefs

Smith, of course, was assigning praise about the power displayed by the league's ability to prompt millions to shell out their hard-earned cash for a three and a half hour sports game featuring Patrick Mahomes. Of those millions, a sizable chunk of the subscriptions will stick around for months, netting NBC and the league an additional monthly income with no additional steps required.

Some fans will remember to cancel the service at the conclusion of the billing period, but many others will not. According to Peacock's website, the cheapest plan available costs $5.99, plus tax. It offers a backlog of shows and movies, some live sporting events, and dozens of channels. However, at that price, subscribers will be subjected to advertisements.

The most expensive plan, meanwhile, costs $11.99, plus tax. The "premium plus" plan takes out advertisements on most programs, adds download support, and a livestream of your local NBC station.

Meaning that for every person that subscribed to the service to watch Tua Tagovailoa take on the Chiefs, the media companies could see as much as $144 over the next year.

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Are there any stream-only playoff games this weekend?

Patrick Mahomes at Cincinnati Bengals v Kansas City Chiefs

According to FBschedules, there will be streaming options for cable-cutters, but every game of the Divisional Round of the playoffs will take place on conventional television channels.

On Saturday, the Houston Texans-Baltimore Ravens game will take place on ESPN and ABC. The Green Bay Packers-San Francisco 49ers game will take place on FOX.

On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Detroit Lions showdown will take place on NBC and Peacock. The Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills game will take place on CBS and Paramount+.

If any of the above quotes are used, credit "First Take" and H/T Sportskeeda.