Trend Details

TV Ratings Record: Super Bowl Drew 123.4 million Viewers

Some 123.4 million viewers watched the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, according to data from Nielsen and Adobe analytics, which made it the U.S.’s most-watched television program of all time.

US - The Super Bowl LVIII, which aired live on CBS, set a new record as the most-watched program in television history. An average of 123.4 million viewers tuned in across various platforms, including CBS Television Network, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, and NFL digital properties. This viewership shattered last year’s record of 115.1 million viewers for the Super Bowl. The game itself, an exhilarating overtime victory by the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers, contributed to the historic ratings. It was only the second Super Bowl ever to go into overtime, making it even more memorable.

The game benefited from a confluence of factors: an attractive matchup, an overtime comeback victory and increased fan interest surrounding the relationship between singer Taylor Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

The previous record had been set just a year ago, when 115.1 million viewers watched the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles.

During Super Bowl LVIII, several advertisers went all out to capture the attention of millions of viewers. Here are some of the most notable and expensive ads:

Amazon and Google: In 2020, these industry giants set a record by paying a staggering $16.8 million for a 90-second spot each. Amazon’s ad featured Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi showcasing their Alexa voice assistant, while Google’s ad portrayed an elderly man using their voice assistant to remember his wife123.

Other advertisers also invested heavily in Super Bowl ads, recognising the unique opportunity to reach over 100 million people in a single broadcast. The cost of running a 30-second ad during Super Bowl LVIII was $7 million. This high price tag reflects the effectiveness of Super Bowl ads in reaching a wide audience, making it a prime platform for companies to showcase their products and services.

In summary, Super Bowl ads are expensive because they provide unparalleled visibility to a massive audience, and companies are willing to pay a premium for this unparalleled exposure.

Back to Listing