Behind the 123.7 Million Super Bowl Views
Published on February 19, 2024, 5:51 p.m.
by Stephanie Smith.
In case you haven’t heard, Super Bowl LVIII just became the most watched broadcast of all time with an astounding 123.7 million viewers, making it the most watched since the moon landing. The Kansas City Chiefs secured a thrilling victory over the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, 25-22. While this game kept the audience on the edge of their seats, there were also several other factors that contributed to making this game the most-viewed Super Bowl of all time.
You guessed it, Taylor Swift
In some cases, it feels Taylor Swift attending NFL games was discussed more than the actual plays this season. Whether you love her or hate her, she is attracting a new audience to football, although she was only shown for 54 seconds during the Super Bowl. This Super Bowl set a record for the highest number of female viewers, with an incredible 58.8 million women tuning in — a 9% increase from the previous year.
Cetaphil highlighted this new audience in its Super Bowl commercial, which sparked some controversy when Sharon Mbabazi claimed the ad’s concept copied a series of TikTok videos she created with her father. According to Today, Cetaphil wanted to “[honor] the newfound bond between fathers and daughters from finding a shared interest in football amid Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance” and wasn’t aware of Mbabazi’s videos. Despite the controversy, the message of the ad remains true. While Taylor Swift is not the sole driver behind the 9% increase in female viewers, she undoubtedly played a significant role in it.
The duo that didn’t happen
Fans worldwide eagerly anticipated what Usher’s Super Bowl halftime performance would look like. Viral TikTok videos speculated how Usher would open his performance, while others were convinced Justin Bieber would make an appearance. Teasers from ESPN on Instagram and articles about Justin and Hailey Bieber’s teams being in Las Vegas further fueled expectations of a pop-up performance by Bieber. However, despite these predictions, the much-anticipated moment never happened.
Beliebers were devastated when Bieber was not brought on stage during the performance. Usher addressed the situation in a post-Super Bowl comment, revealing that he had invited Bieber to join him for the halftime show, but Bieber declined. Despite the absence of Bieber, Usher brought out many other notable artists, including Ludacris, Alicia Keys, Will.i.am., Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R. and Lil Jon. Although Bieber never made it to the stage, Usher delivered an exciting halftime performance.
Nickelodeon’s “Sweet Victory”
This year, Nickelodeon created a Super Bowl broadcast tailored for kids and families of all ages. Hosted by the beloved characters SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star, the broadcast averaged 1.2 million viewers. Although this was Nickelodeon’s first Super Bowl broadcast, views increased from 2023 when Nickelodeon averaged 190,000 viewers in primetime.
The broadcast quickly went viral on various social media platforms after the Super Bowl. Many users took to their accounts to highlight what made it so successful. From Dora explaining the rules of football to the “celebrities” shown throughout the game, Nickelodeon had a “Sweet Victory”.
While many viewers tune in each year for the game, the commercials or just not wanting to miss out, this year introduced new reasons to watch. So, why did you watch the Super Bowl?
