Once again, the Super Bowl has shattered the record for the most-watched television event in American history.
Super Bowl LIX delivered an average viewership of 126million people, according to Fox’s projections which include Nielsen data.
That average breaks the old record which was only just set last year with the CBS broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII.
Additionally, Fox reported peak viewership in the second quarter of 135.7million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo, and NFL Digital.
Ratings for the broadcast have not yet dropped. The highest rated Super Bowl broadcast was in 1982 for Super Bowl XVI – when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.
Among the list of the most watched broadcasts in American television history, it’s widely believed that the Apollo 11 moon landing is the most-watched ever with estimates saying that between 125-150million tuned in. However, no data has substantiated this claim.
Super Bowl LIX is being reported by Fox and Nielsen as the most-watched broadcast ever
The Eagles beat the Chiefs in front of an average audience of 126million that peaked at 135.7m
Fox reporter Erin Andrews interviews Super Bowl LIX MVP and Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
This Super Bowl’s rating will be of particular interest to see the percentage of viewers that tuned into the game.
For reference, while Super Bowl LVIII broke the record in 2024, it only managed a rating of 43.1 – which doesn’t put it on the list of the 30 highest rated TV broadcasts in the United States.
While Super Bowl XVI is the highest rated Super Bowl ever, the highest rated Super Bowl in the 21st century is Super Bowl XLIX – when the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks. That game brought in a rating of 47.5.
Super Bowl XVI is the fourth-highest rated broadcast in American television history. It sits behind the finale of the television miniseries ‘Roots’ (51.1 in 1977), the episode of the TV drama ‘Dallas’ that revealed who shot JR Ewing (53.3 in 1980), and the all-time record holder: the series finale to the Vietnam-war era show ‘M*A*S*H’ (60.2 in 1983).
Comparatively, Super Bowl XLIX is only the ninth-highest rated broadcast ever.
It’s the fourth highest rated Super Bowl ever. Between 49ers-Bengals and Patriots-Seahawks are Super Bowl XVII (Redskins over Dolphins, 48.6) and Super Bowl XX (Bears over Patriots, 48.3)
Other than Super Bowls, no other broadcast from 2000 and on has cracked the list of the highest rated broadcasts in American television history.
Those that do are as follows: Super Bowl XLVI (Giants over Patriots [the second time], 47.0), Super Bowl XLVIII (Seahawks over Broncos, 46.7), Super Bowl 50 (Broncos over Panthers, 46.6), Super Bowl XLVII (Ravens over 49ers, 46.4), Super Bowl XLV (Packers over Steelers, 46.0), and Super Bowl LI (Patriots over Falcons, 45.3).
