Super Bowl LVIII is memorable for breaking viewership records, with 123.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched TV event in U.S. history. The Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers added to the excitement, while star-studded offenses and Taylor Swift’s appearance heightened the event’s cultural impact. It capped off a season of record-breaking NFL ratings, making it a Super Bowl that fans and media alike will remember for years to come.
The 2024 Super Bowl LVIII, was set for Sunday, February 11, will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, marking a historic first for the NFL in Nevada. Allegiant Stadium, which opened in 2020, serves as the home of the Las Vegas Raiders, a team with a storied history that includes previous stints as the Oakland Raiders (1960-1981, 1995-2019) and the Los Angeles Raiders (1982-1994). This was the first time the city of Las Vegas hosted the Super Bowl, which added even more excitement to the event.
The game was a thrilling rematch between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. The 49ers, who have claimed five Super Bowl championships (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994), took on the Chiefs, who have won three titles (1970, 2020, 2023). This marks the second time in just five seasons that these two teams have met in the Super Bowl, with the Chiefs defeating the 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
The first-ever Super Bowl, played on January 15, 1967, took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where the Green Bay Packers triumphed over the Kansas City Chiefs with a 35-10 victory, beginning the legacy of what would become the most-watched sporting event in the United States.
Super Bowl LVIII TV records
Super Bowl 58, shattered previous records by drawing the largest recorded TV audience in U.S. history. Broadcast on CBS, a Paramount-owned national network, the game attracted an average of 123.4 million viewers, surpassing the prior record of 115.1 million set by Fox’s coverage of Super Bowl 57 in 2023. This total viewership included CBS, CBS Sports, the Spanish-language channel Univision, the alternate broadcast on Nickelodeon, and streaming services like Paramount+ and NFL+.
On CBS alone, the viewership reached 120 million, making it the largest audience ever for a TV show on a single network. The game’s thrilling 25-22 overtime victory by the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers likely contributed to the massive viewership, as did the star power of both teams’ offenses. The media frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift’s presence at the game further heightened interest, adding to the excitement.
It’s worth noting that CBS’s reported viewership of 120 million includes out-of-home viewing, which wasn’t typically accounted for in earlier years. This means that previous Super Bowls, like Super Bowl 51, which had an official viewership of 112 million but is believed to have reached as high as 124 million, may have had higher total audiences than initially recorded.
The viewership surge for Super Bowl 58 starkly contrasts to Super Bowl 55 in 2021, which CBS also broadcast. Despite airing amid the pandemic, Super Bowl 55 attracted only 91.6 million viewers, the lowest number since 2006.
CBS will next hold the rights to broadcast the Super Bowl in February 2028, when it will air Super Bowl 62 following the 2027 season. In the meantime, Fox, NBC, and ABC/ESPN will broadcast the next three editions of the iconic end-of-season finale.
The record-breaking viewership for Super Bowl 58 caps off a season marked by exceptionally strong NFL ratings. The AFC Championship Game saw its highest-ever viewership, and the NFC Championship Game surpassed that, drawing even more viewers.
The NFL’s divisional round of the playoffs also set a new high, with an average of 40 million viewers across its four games, making it the most-watched divisional round since records began. This surge in viewership reflects the growing popularity of the NFL and the heightened excitement surrounding the postseason.
The infographic below from ssrs redefining research illustrates the study of the opinion of the nation before the Super Bowl 58 game. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a multi-client probability-based survey that fields twice a month. It delivers a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults age 18 or older in English (with a Spanish language option). Data collection Is conducted online and via phone (for non-internet and web-reluctant respondents) using the probability-based SSRS Opinion Panel.
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