Nowadays, there aren't many society-wide media events. We watch TV on demand and listen to curated playlists instead of the radio. Despite the shift, the Super Bowl has remained steady. Simply put, everybody is watching.
Over the past 10 years, an average of 108.3 million viewers have tuned into the Super Bowl. That's a solid third of the U.S. population. Of the 20 most-viewed television broadcasts in history, the Super Bowl occupies 19 slots (the M*A*S*H* finale in 1983 is the only exception).
Super Bowl TV ratings and viewership from 2016 to 2025
Super Bowl | Avg Viewers (millions) | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
LIX (2025) | 127.7 | 41.7 |
LVIII (2024) | 120.25 | 42.1 |
LVII (2023) | 114.21 | 40.4 |
LVI (2022) | 99.18 | 36.9 |
LV (2021) | 95.2 | 38.2 |
LIV (2020) | 101.32 | 41.6 |
LIII (2019) | 98.48 | 41.1 |
LII (2018) | 103.47 | 43.1 |
LI (2017) | 111.32 | 45.3 |
50 (2016) | 111.86 | 46.6 |
10-year average | 108.3 | 41.7 |
Super Bowl viewership was on the decline from 2019 to 2022, but it roared back in 2023 when the Chiefs faced the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. That was before Taylor Swift started dating Travis Kelce, so the 15-million viewer boost wasn't just from Swifties (though Super Bowl LVIII delivered six million more viewers with Swift on hand, so their impact did arrive soon enough).
Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 was the first to break 100 million viewers.
However, ratings have steadily slipped from 46.6 in 2016, likely from diversification of broadcast options.
Highest Super Bowl ratings and viewership
Super Bowl LIX in 2025 set the record for the largest Super Bowl audience at 127.7. That's also the record for the largest television broadcast audience ever. It's a record that has been broken each year since 2023. The Super Bowl basically exists to break records.
Of course, viewership can be inflated by increased access to televisions and additional streaming options. The highest rating for a Super Bowl belongs to Super Bowl XVI in 1982. CBS got a 49.1 rating, meaning nearly 50 percent of the total population of the U.S. was tuned in.
Lowest Super Bowl ratings and viewership
You'd think the lowest Super Bowl viewership would be the first one in 1967. However, that game was broadcast by both CBS and NBC. Each brought in more than 20 million viewers, totaling 51.18 average viewers. Combined ratings were 41.1, so the Super Bowl was an instant hit from the jump.
It's the following year when the lowest viewership total arrived. CBS alone broadcast the game, drawing 39.12 million viewers and a rating of 36.8. The game has only grown since then.