An estimated 123.4 million viewers tuned into this year’s Super Bowl, marking it as the most-watched broadcast since the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969. The Kansas City Chiefs claimed victory against the San Francisco 49ers with a nail-biting overtime score of 25-22. Notably, pop star Taylor Swift‘s attendance, who is in a relationship with the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, may have boosted viewership.
The consumer research firm Numerator reported that approximately 20 percent of viewers were rooting for the Chiefs, with some of that number potentially drawn in by Swift‘s relationship with Kelce. Capitalizing on the star power of Swift, the Super Bowl broadcast featured several shots of the pop star at the event socializing with celebrities such as actress Blake Lively and rapper Ice Spice — as well as a celebratory post-match kiss with Kelce. CBS dominated the telecast, with 112 million of the 123.4 million viewers.
In addition, this year witnessed a record with 202.4 million people watching at least part of the game, according to Nielsen data. The spike is likely due to a change in Nielsen’s methodology – which now includes those watching in a gathering or outside their homes. A combination of Taylor Swift’s star power, the returning Super Bowl champion Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers led by upstart quarterback Brock Purdy, and the nostalgia of Usher’s half-time show all likely contributed to the NFL’s ratings success on Sunday.
show less