Nearly 125 million people in the United States watched the Seattle Seahawks defeat the New England Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl, making it the second most-watched Super Bowl in U.S. history, based on Nielsen figures released Tuesday.
The Seahawks’ 29–13 win drew an average audience of 124.9 million across NBC, its Peacock streaming platform, Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo, and the NFL+ streaming service. The viewership trailed only last year’s Super Bowl broadcast on Fox, where the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, which set a record with 127.7 million viewers.
This year’s game, the most-watched annual television event in the U.S., reached a peak audience of 137.8 million viewers. Advertising slots during the broadcast sold for as much as $10 million for 30 seconds.
The halftime performance by Latino rap star Bad Bunny attracted an average of 128.2 million viewers nationwide. The show generated strong social media engagement, amassing around 4 billion views within the first 24 hours, according to NBC Sports. Held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the performance paid tribute to Puerto Rico and featured guest appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, along with a tribute to reggaeton pioneer Daddy Yankee.
Bad Bunny’s selection as the halftime headliner also sparked criticism from some conservative figures, including President Donald Trump, over his decision to perform entirely in Spanish and his vocal stance on U.S. immigration policy. A conservative organisation, Turning Point USA, staged an alternative concert titled the “All-American Halftime Show,” featuring Kid Rock and other performers.
Click here for more on Lifestyle
