2026 Super Bowl Scores 124.9 Million Viewers, Second-largest Audience In History

Defense wins championships and Super Bowl LX showed it tin get ratings too.

NBC’s Sunday telecast of nan Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 triumph complete nan New England Patriots averaged 124.9 cardinal viewers according to Nielsen data, falling short of nan grounds of 127.7 cardinal group past twelvemonth connected Fox.

Seattle’s smothering defense preventing New England from ever getting connected way successful nan NFL title crippled astatine Levi‘s Stadium successful Santa Clara, Calif., was much appreciated by superior shot fans than casual watchers. But nan contention surrounding the arena pinch halftime performer Bad Bunny apt stoked further interest.

Bad Bunny’s halftime show averaged 128.2 cardinal viewers, higher than nan crippled overall. The capacity aired aft nan 2nd quarter, erstwhile nan crippled was still adjacent and deed a highest of 137.8 cardinal viewers.

The NFL’s action of Bad Bunny riled up right-wing commentators who objected to having an creator singing only successful Spanish performing astatine nan premier U.S. sporting arena of nan year. Bad Bunny has besides been outspoken complete nan Trump administration’s fierce strategies successful removing undocumented immigrants. He skipped nan mainland U.S. connected his past tour, citing fears that his fans would beryllium targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Right-wing activistic group Turning Point USA presented an replacement halftime show connected YouTube, which topped 6 cardinal viewers, a amazingly precocious number considering specifications of nan programme were not revealed until days earlier crippled day. A performance featuring Kid Rock and respective lesser-known state artists did not get a beardown captious reception connected societal media. But nan assemblage size showed that a basking philharmonic enactment could pull a important chunk of nan assemblage already gathered to watch nan game.

“More bands should spell caput to caput pinch nan halftime show and not successful a governmental way,” said 1 rival web executive not authorized to remark publicly. “It would beryllium a bully stunt for HBO Max aliases immoderate different institution that’s not an NFL authorities holder.”

Nielsen’s betterment to its measurement of viewing done net connections and set-top boxes — which boosted NFL TV ratings passim nan play — besides apt helped nan Super Bowl LX number. The further information was incorporated into TV ratings starting successful September.

Another 3.3 cardinal watched nan Spanish-language broadcast connected Telemundo. NBC did not merchandise information for viewing connected its Peacock, saying only that it was nan biggest time ever for nan streaming platform.

NBC sold retired nan commercialized clip for nan crippled astatine an mean value of $8 cardinal for a 30-second spot, pinch immoderate going for $10 million. USA Today’s yearly “Ad Meter” sheet chose Budweiser’s “American Icons” arsenic its favourite commercialized connected nan telecast.