CBS: Super Bowl LVIII Sets Ratings Record, Averaging 123.4 Million Viewers to Rival Lower End of Moon Landing Viewership Estimate

Super Bowl LVIII averaged a record-breaking 123.4 million viewers, CBS announced on Monday.

According to CNN, Sunday's showdown at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers broke the ratings record set by last year's Super Bowl, a matchup between Kansas City and the Philadelphia Eagles that averaged 115 million viewers.

Citing CBS, CNN went on to report that Super Bowl LVIII's viewership "approached the all-time most watched television broadcast set in 1969, when an estimated 125 to 150 million viewers watched the Apollo 11 moon landing."

Kansas City won Sunday 25-22 after quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a game-winning, three-yard touchdown to receiver Mecole Hardman with three seconds left in overtime.

The game marked the second time a Super Bowl ever went into overtime, with the first ever being Super Bowl LI. Played on Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston, the New England Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit to eventually beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime by a score of 34-28.

There's been much curiosity among NFL observers with regard to how 14-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift's romance with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has impacted ratings since the singer began attending her beau's games on Sept. 24, 2023.

Despite the criticism being placed on Swift attending games, it's safe to say that she hasn't caused less people to tune in - and that's something that execs across the NFL and its broadcasting partners have been acutely aware of.

"She is without a doubt incremental to audience on the NFL," Paramount Global President and CEO Bob Bakish said, per a Bloomberg piece published on Friday, Feb. 9. "She's a great addition, widening the net of the NFL viewer even further."

Swift watched Sunday's big game from an Allegiant Stadium suite alongside some of her friends, including drill rapper Ice Spice, actress Blake Lively and critically acclaimed singer Lana Del Rey. The group is practically a living, breathing list of trending topics on X.

After winning Super Bowl LVII, the Chiefs went into the 2023-24 season as the NFL's premier team, having played in two of the four previous Super Bowls overall and winning two of them. Leading up to Super Bowl LVIII, Swift becoming one of Kansas City's fans - and functioning as a proxy for "Swifties" within Chiefs fandom - yielded a confluence of factors that made Sunday's record-breaking ratings highly likely.

"Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Kelce have had attention-getting turns on this stage prior, without there being a high-profile love story playing out before the world," LatinPost stated on Jan. 31. "In this Super Bowl, the Chiefs will battle the San Francisco 49ers before the NFL's core audience, its casual viewers, Taylor Swift, and her followers watching her every move shared on TV.

"Taking all of that into account, it'll come as no surprise if Super Bowl LVIII ends up being the most viewed Super Bowl in history," we concluded that day. 

Well, to no one's surprise, Super Bowl LVIII did indeed end up being the most watched Super Bowl in history.