The Super Bowl is always a big event, but this year, it was out of this world.
Super Bowl LVIII drew in an average of 123.4 million viewers on Sunday, February 11, making it the most-watched U.S. broadcast in history since Apollo 11’s historic 1969 mission when Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon. (At the time, the moon landing was seen by an estimated 125 to 150 million people.)
Nielsen data reported Sunday’s viewership went up 7 percent from last year’s Super Bowl record of 115.1 million.
CBS Sports announced the preliminary numbers one day after the Kansas City Chiefs became back-to-back champions by defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22.
With less than 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker tied up the game to send it into overtime. The 49ers received the ball and scored a field goal.
The Chiefs then got their chance to take home the win with their own drive. Fans at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas cheered as the Chiefs plowed down the field and drained the clock before scoring a touchdown to win the seventh-longest game in NFL history.
The nerve-wracking event capped off a headline-making season for the Chiefs, who added Taylor Swift as a fan due to her relationship with tight end Travis Kelce.
The pop star, 34, became a regular supporter after attending her first game in September 2023. On Sunday, Swift was spotted with Blake Lively, Ice Spice and more of her famous friends in a private suite with Kelce’s family.
Before the big game, Kelce, 34, told reporters that Swift gives him “a reason to play that much harder” on the field. “It’s another memory in the journey that we get to cherish,” he said of celebrating the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win in January with Swift and his family. “I’m fortunate I got all the support I need off the field.”
Kelce said during Super Bowl Opening Night that winning Super Bowl LVIII would be even more special with the Chiefs being the reigning champions. “I want this one more than I’ve ever wanted a Super Bowl in my life,” he said on Monday, February 5. “Because that tier of teams that have done it twice have gone down in history as some of the greats.”
The Chiefs previously won the Super Bowl in 1970, 2020 and 2023. Prior to Sunday night’s game, only seven teams — the 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots — had won back-to-back Super Bowls.
