How many people watch the Super Bowl? Explaining Super Bowl TV ratings in USA, around the world

Every year, there is no bigger event on television than the Super Bowl. What began in 1967 as a championship game between two leagues has evolved into an unofficial American holiday, consistently shattering viewership records year after year.

As we look toward Super Bowl 60 in 2026, the numbers are staggering. Just last year, Super Bowl 59 set a historic benchmark, becoming the most-watched single-network telecast in television history. To put that in perspective, more people typically tune in for the opening kickoff than the entire population of most European countries.

Over the years, the game has become less of a sports broadcast and more of a mandatory cultural checkpoint. As the lights go up at Levi’s Stadium, the only remaining question isn’t just who will win, but how high the ceiling for the world’s biggest stage can truly go.

Here’s how many people actually watch the big game every year.

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How many people watch the Super Bowl in USA?

Each year, the Super Bowl sets the bar for viewing numbers in the United States.

Super Bowl 59 between the Eagles and the Chiefs set the all-time record, averaging 127.7 million viewers. It peaked at 137.7 million during the second quarter. The previous record-holder came a year before, where 123.7 million viewers tuned in for the Chiefs’ overtime victory over the 49ers.

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How many people watch the Super Bowl around the world?

While international viewership is a bit harder to track, what's easy to assume is millions watch the Super Bowl in other countries. In 2024, the NFL reported 62.5 million global viewers outside the U.S., a 10% increase from the previous year, with strong numbers in Mexico, Canada, UK, and Germany.

When combining U.S. and international audiences, total numbers often exceed 150 million, with some analyses suggesting figures closer to 200 million or more.

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How do Super Bowl TV ratings work?

In 2025, Super Bowl 59 received a 41.7 TV rating, which means that 41.7 percent of all homes with a television were tuned into the Eagles' victory over the Chiefs. While that number is impressive, it actually represents a slight decline from the 43.5 rating set the year prior.

Earlier Super Bowls often performed better when it comes to these specific percentages because there were fewer entertainment options and channels available to the public. The highest-rated Super Bowl in history remains the 49.1 rating from 1982, a game that featured the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals. Of the five highest-rated Super Bowls ever, four of them were broadcast before 1987, reflecting a time when the big game captured nearly half of the entire country's household attention.

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Most watched Super Bowls ever

Super Bowl 59 eclipsed all others as the highest-watched Super Bowl in history.

Official viewership

TV Ratings

Viewership across all platforms

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