10 Most Watched Super Bowls of All Time
With the big game only a few days away, let's remind ourselves of the 10 most-watched Super Bowls of all time.
The championship game is always a popular event to watch - whether you love football, glitzy halftime shows, or Game Day snacks. And the viewing figures and ratings are a statistics goldmine for advertisers, who always spend the big bucks on Super Bowl campaigns.
We'll look at some of the biggest ad campaigns in our next guide, but for now, we'd like to take you on a journey through time and remember the most popular Super Bowls by viewership.
10 Most Watched Super Bowls of All TimeWe've created a simple visual aid that shows the most watched Super Bowls of all time. In the table below, you can see which Super Bowl makes the cut, which teams played, the viewership, and ratings.
Like this infographic? Feel free to use it on your website or blog, but please remember to give us credit by linking back to https://techreport.com/statistics/highest-scoring-super-bowlsAs you can see from the infographic above, the most recent Super Bowl was the most-watched one on TV. Let's dive into the ratings and viewership of the most-watched championship games. The figures provided in this guide are average viewership figures estimated by the research firm Nielsen.
10. Super Bowl LII, 2018 - Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England PatriotsImage Credit - StatistaIn tenth spot, we have Super Bowl LII, which took place on February 4, 2018, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Philadelphia Eagles emerged victorious for the first time, with a score of 41-33.
Super Bowl LII was attended by 67,612 spectators and was broadcast by NBC in the US, CTV in Canada, and BBC One in the UK. Although this game is included in our top-most-watched Super Bowls list, with a little over 104 million TV viewers, it had the smallest TV audience since 2009 at the time.
The halftime show, headlined by Justin Timberlake, was a lot less exciting than his 2004 performance, attracted 106.6 million viewers.
9. Super Bowl XLIV, 2010 - New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis ColtsIn ninth place, we have the first and only Super Bowl ever won by New Orleans Saints. Played on February 7, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Super Bowl XLIV ended with a score of 31-17.
106.476 million spectators watched the game in the US as it was broadcast by CBS, and it received a rating of 45%. In Canada and the UK, the championship was broadcast by CTV and BBC One, respectively. As of 2010, Super Bowl XLIV was the most-watched TV program in the US. The game was also attended by 74,000 people.
8. Super Bowl XLVII, 2013 - Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ersCredit - StatistaNielsen's predictions about Super Bowl XLVII came true - over 108 million Americans tuned in to watch Super Bowl XLVII and over 104 million saw Beyonce's halftime show. The eighth game on our list was broadcast by CBS on February 3rd, 2013, with a TV rating of 46.4%.
The close match ended with a score of 34-31 as the Baltimore Ravens took home their second Super Bowl trophy.
The Canadian and British viewers enjoyed Super Bowl XLVII on CTV and BBC, respectively. Over 71,000 people attended the game played at the Mercedez-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
7. Super Bowl XLV, 2011 - Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh SteelersCredit - StatistaSuper Bowl XLV, played on February 6, 2011, was another championship that broke the records as the most-watched program in the US (the previous year's Super Bowl did the same). The game, broadcast in the US by Fox, was viewed by over 111 million people in the country and earned a rating of 46%.
The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV with a score of 31-25, making it their fourth championship trophy. The game, played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, was the second-most attended Super Bowl, with 103,219 people showing up in person.
Super Bowl XLV halftime performer Usher will be returning for this year's Super Bowl halftime show.
6. Super Bowl XLVI, 2012 - New York Giants vs. New England PatriotsCredit - StatistaIn the sixth spot, we have the 2012 championship game played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on February 5. Super Bowl XLVI victory went to the New York Giants, with a final score of 21-17.
Once again, the broadcast of the Super Bowl broke the US records for the most-watched program in the country - records previously broken by Super Bowl XLV and XLIV.
The 2012 championship game broadcast by NBC had an audience of 111.346 million people in the US, beating out the previous year's game by 300,000 viewers.
Madonna's fiery halftime show also broke records with 3 million more viewers than the game itself. 68,658 people were in attendance in Indianapolis.
5. Super Bowl LI, 2017 - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta FalconsCredit - StatistaOpening up our top five most-watched Super Bowls is Super Bowl LI, played on February 5, 2017, at NRG Stadium in Houston. The New England Patriots went on to win with a score of 34-28, markingone of the largest comebacks in NFL history.
Broadcast by Fox, Super Bowl LI was the first and only game to ever run into overtime. It was attended by 70,807 people, seen by 111.973 million people on television in the US, and had a rating of 45.3%.
However, the halftime show led by Lady Gaga was watched by 117.5 million people, far surpassing the game's viewership. British and Canadian viewers were able to watch Super Bowl LI on BBC and CTV, respectively.
4. Super Bowl 50, 2016 - Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers
The Golden" 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl ended with the Denver Broncos defeating the Panthers 24-10 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
The 50th game, played on February 7th, 2016, drew 71,088 spectators to the match, and the halftime show was headlined by glab stars Coldplay and Bruno Mars.
CBS broadcasted the championship game in the US and BBC Two in the UK. The rating was 46.6% - the fourth-highest figure on our list. According to Nielsen estimates, the game attracted 112.336 million viewers in the US.
3. Super Bowl XLVIII, 2014 - Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver BroncosCredit - StatistaAnother first-time win for an underdog team - the Super Bowl XLVIII, which ended with a Seahawks victory, is number three on our list. The Seattle team took home the trophy on February 2nd, 2014, with a final score of 43-8, which was one of the largest point differentials in Super Bowl history.
This game was played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Despite being outdoors in the winter and having earned the title of the third-coldest Super Bowl ever, it was attended by over 82,500 people.
Fox TV channel was broadcasting Super Bowl XLVIII in the US, simulcast with CTV in Canada, and UK watchers tuned in on Channel 4. The game was watched by 112.752 million people in the US, with a rating of 46.7%.
2. Super Bowl XLIX, 2015 - New England Patriots vs. Atlanta SeahawksCredit - StatistaThe silver medal spot of ratings goes to Super Bowl XLIX, played on February 1st, 2015, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. The game brought the New England Patriots their fourth Super Bowl victory, with a tight final score of 28-24.
The ratings for Super Bowl XLIX are the highest ratings on this list, amounting to 47.5%, and the average number of US viewers is 114.810 million.
However, that figure went up as Katy Perry came on stage for the halftime show, reaching 118.5 million. The game was broadcast by NBC in the US, CTV in Canada, and Channel 4 in the UK.
1. Super Bowl LVII, 2023 - Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia EaglesCredit - StatistaAlthough Nielsen had initially calculated the viewership of Super Bowl LVII at 113.055 million, placing it behind Super Bowl XLIV, the firm subsequently revised its figures.
As things stand, Super Bowl LVII is the most-watched championship game in history, with an average of 115.1 million viewers.
The game was played on February 12th, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35in a game that was watched by over 67,800 people at the venue.
The game, together with Rihanna's halftime show and pregnancy announcement, was broadcast by Fox in the US, TSN and CTV in Canada, and ITV1 and STV in the UK. The ratings were 40%.
Predictions for Super Bowl LVII 2024Credit - NRFSuper Bowl LVII 2024 is scheduled for February 11th, 2024, to be played for the first time in Nevada at Allegiant Stadium. Last year's champions Kansas City Chiefs will be battling the San Francisco 49ers.
At the moment, the 49ers are two-point favorites to win, and the predictions of the National Retail Federation tell us that the 2024 game will be the most-viewed to date, with 200.5 million Americans planning to watch.
It's very possible that thanks to the coupling up of US superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Tight end Travis Kelce (commonly referred to as Swelce,) the NFL is going to get a brand-new fanbase this year.
Where to Watch Super Bowl LVII 2024If you're based in the US and want to watch Super Bowl LVII 2024, you can tune in to the CBS live coverage, stream it on Paramount+or the paid NFL+ app.
This year, there's also an option to watch a family-friendly coverage on Nickelodeonif you want to let your kids stay up for the big game.
If you're outside the US, here's where to watch Super Bowl LVII:
Country | Channel |
---|---|
Canada | TSN, CTV, TSN+, Dazn |
UK | ITV1, ITVX, Sky Sports, Now |
LATAM | ESPN, Star+ |
China | Tencent |
In other regions, you can watch it on your local sports channels or streaming services. However, if you don't have a channel broadcasting the Super Bowl in your country, you can try using a VPN. Here are our recommendations for the top VPNs for streaming.
Final ThoughtsAre you ready for the big game?
We at TechReport are getting our Game Day snacks sorted as we delve into more statistics to bring you ahead of the big event.
We hope this guide to the most watched Super Bowls of all time has been helpful to you, and we look forward to your predictions for Super Bowl 2024.
Sources:Click to see all sources- TV viewership of the Super Bowl in the United States from 1990 to 2023 (Statista)
- Super Bowl LII: Most Rooting for the Eagles (Statista)
- More Than 100 Million Americans Will Watch Super Bowl XLVIII (Statista)
- The Pittsburgh Steelers Have the Most Super Bowl Titles (Statista)
- Regular / Super Bowl weekend hotel room rates in Indianapolis in 2012 (in U.S. dollars) (Statista)
- Super Bowls won by NFL team from 1967 to 2023 (Statista)
- Super Bowl XLVIII Could Be the Coldest Ever (Statista)
- Super Bowl XLIX Draws Record TV Crowd (Statista)
- TV ratings of the Super Bowl in the United States from 1990 to 2023 (Statista)
- Super Bowl Ratings History (1967-present) (Sportsmedia)
- Super Bowl LV Draws Nearly 92 Million TV Viewers (Nielsen)
- Super Bowl LVII totals more than 113 million viewers, ranks second most-watched game ever (Nielsen)
- Super Bowl LVII was most-watched telecast ever, according to updated data (ESPN)
- Super Bowl picks: Experts predict 49ers-Chiefs score, MVP (ESPN)
- Eagles' 1st Super Bowl Win Draws 103.4M Viewers, Smallest Audience In Nine Years - Update (Deadline)
- Philadelphia Eagles beat New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII (Cincinnati.com)
- Super Bowl ends MASH finale's 27-year reign as most-watched US TV show (The Guardian)
- Super Bowl 2011 draws highest ever audience for US TV show (The Guardian)
- Beyonce Draws Estimated 104 Million to Super Bowl Halftime (Billboard)
- Madonna's Super Bowl Performance Watched By 114 Million (Billboard)
- Patriots erase deficit, defeat Falcons in Super Bowl LI (NFL)
- Super Bowl XLVII Live: Score, Commercials and More (ABCNews)
- Super Bowl LI Pulls in 111.3 Million Viewers on Fox, Shy of 2015 Ratings Record (Variety)
- Update: Super Bowl on NBC Draws Record U.S. Television Audience (Variety)
- Super Bowl 2014 weather: With 49 degree kickoff temperature, only the third coldest ever played (NJ.com)
- 2024 Super Bowl picks, projections, best bets: Experts release score predictions for Chiefs vs. 49ers (CBS Sports)
- Super Bowl LVIII (National Retail Federation)
- What is the official ship name that Travis Kelce approves of for him and Taylor Swift? (Pinkvilla)
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