Super Bowl LIX Made American TV History

Consistently drawing audiences in excess of 100 million, the Super Bowl stands as the pinnacle of American television events. According to Nielsen, last year’s Super Bowl LIX attracted a record average viewership of 127.7 million, making it not only the most-watched Super Bowl in the game’s long history, but also the largest single-network telecast ever in the United States. From the previous record-setting audience that watched Super Bowl LVIII in 2024, year-over-year viewership was up 3.2 percent.

Over the past decade, Super Bowl viewership has experienced fluctuations. After a peak in 2015, when Super Bowl XLIX was watched by almost 115 million people, viewership declined in four consecutive years, even dropping back below 100 million in 2019 and 2021. However, recent games have seen a resurgence in audience numbers, culminating in the record-breaking viewership of the last editions of the Big Game. Super Bowl is not only seen as a sporting event in the U.S., but also as a cultural phenomenon that captivates millions across the nation. It is this combination of sports, show and commerce that makes it true must-see TV.