A file 123.4 million folks tuned in to observe the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl — with the added attraction of an Usher-headlined halftime present and the attention-stealing presence of Taylor Swift.
Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes discovered Mecole Hardman in the long run zone deep into time beyond regulation to seal a dramatic 25-22 win in what was additionally the longest Tremendous Bowl recreation in historical past.
The victory makes Kansas Metropolis the primary crew to win back-to-back Lombardi Trophies for the reason that New England Patriots in 2003-2004, cementing the franchise’s proper to be thought to be the NFL’s latest dynasty.
CBS mum or dad firm Paramount mentioned in a press release {that a} complete viewers of 123.4 million throughout all platforms made it the “most-watched telecast in historical past” — up seven % from final yr’s recreation.
Paramount mentioned 120 million folks watched the NFL championship recreation on CBS alone, a file for a single US community.
The viewership complete got here in simply behind that of the Apollo 11 mission’s 1969 lunar touchdown, which was seen by as much as 150 million in the US throughout the nation’s three tv networks on the time.
Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl viewership was boosted by a confluence of non-sporting star energy, with Usher main an all-star solid that included Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Jermaine Dupri for the halftime present.
Gradual jam king Usher held his personal as he captured the magic of his late-Nineties, early-aughts fame with a 13-minute, career-spanning medley together with hits like “Love In This Membership” and “OMG.”
However pop celebrity Taylor Swift didn’t sing a phrase and was nonetheless the night time’s most-watched fan as she cheered on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce, from a luxurious field with a coterie of well-known associates together with the rapper Ice Spice.
Swift’s relationship with charismatic star Kelce has been a boon to tv rankings, her each transfer providing headline fodder.
The “You Belong With Me” and “Anti Hero” singer’s attendance at Chief’s video games has attracted a lot of Swift’s youthful, largely feminine followers — serving to widen NFL viewership to a brand new demographic.
Beyonce was additionally within the stadium Sunday together with her hip-hop mogul husband Jay-Z — and introduced a brand new album throughout a industrial she did with telecoms big Verizon, during which she repeatedly tries to “break the web.”
Whereas the Tremendous Bowl broke TV information in the US, it’s dwarfed by international viewership numbers for occasions together with World Cup soccer finals, opening ceremonies for the Olympic Video games, and the 1981 royal wedding ceremony of Charles and Diana.
The newest World Cup Ultimate, during which Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout in 2022, is estimated by FIFA to have been watched by practically 1.5 billion folks worldwide, throughout lots of of channels.
AFP