2024 Super Bowl ratings and the ‘Swift bump’: This year’s event is the most watched ever

By now, the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce love story has reached a fever pitch, becoming the stuff of legends. With Swift attending games in support of Chiefs tight end Kelce, and Kelce returning the favour by attending Swift’s concerts, the match was clearly forged in the heavens, merging the best of both worlds and generating hitherto unprecedented levels of interest in the NFL. In the wake of 2024’s Super Bowl LVIII, which was held on February 11 at 6.30pm ET (February 12, 7.30am MYT), we look at the Taylor Swift effect, and how her presence has contributed to this year’s record-breaking ratings and viewership numbers. 

When news first broke of Taylor Swift’s budding relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Swifties the world over went wild. While details of the couple’s early days would not surface until the release of Swift’s Time Person of the Year cover story in December 2023, fans were thrilled with the match.

From the very beginning, Swift and Kelce’s relationship was viewed as a marriage of America’s sweethearts, bringing together the worlds of music and sport even as the couple enjoyed surging popularity and the meteoric rise of their careers. 

With the Chiefs playing a stellar season in 2024, it made sense that fans were in for an amazing Super Bowl LVIII game. For the first time ever in the history of the sport, millions with no former interest in the game were set to tune in. 

The reason? 

Taylor Swift and her indomitable ability to attract attention. In the weeks leading up to the big game, fans spent countless hours debating whether Swift would be able to make it to the United States for the Super Bowl LVIII, in which the Kansas City Chiefs would play off against the San Francisco 49ers.

To nobody’s surprise, Swift made the game, wrapping up four days of her record-smashing Eras tour in Tokyo before jetting back to the United States in good time to cheer on her boyfriend. 

Accompanied by members of her iconic squad Blake Lively, Lana Del Rey, and Ice Spice, Swift showed her stripes in a striking all-black ensemble, which included a pair of crystal encrusted AREA jeans, a Dion Lee bustier top, a Chiefs bomber jacket, and a large varsity ‘87’ pendant – a fitting nod to Kelce, who has long rocked the number on the field in tribute to his brother, Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce. Also in attendance were the Swift and Kelce families, all bubbling with excitement and adorned in blazing red as they watched the Chiefs take home their fourth Super Bowl win – Kelce’s third. 

How Taylor Swift has benefitted the Super Bowl LVIII ratings

While Swift’s personal reasons for attending the NFL’s postseason games may have been purely in support of Kelce, she has nonetheless drawn widespread criticism for ‘making it all about her’. Longtime fans of the sport have taken to social media to denounce the Eras tour superstar with complaints of her hogging the limelight. For context, game broadcasts generally run about three hours in length, with Swift being shown on screen for less than 25 seconds throughout. 

Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII was broadcast over four hours and 18 minutes. Within this time, Swift was shown for a total of 55 seconds, amounting to 0.355% of the entire broadcast length. And while 55 seconds may be excruciating for Taylor Swift haters, we firmly believe that the cure is this: Alexa, play You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift. 

Cutting through the noise of the naysayers and haters, it’s easy to see that Swift’s incomparable star power has greatly benefited the NFL. From surging viewership numbers to the ad revenue her presence has generated, Swift’s relationship with Kelce has certainly drawn eyeballs, leading to a global surge of interest in the NFL and its games – a phenomenon that experts are now calling the ‘Swift bump’. 

Since Swift began making waves at games, sponsorships have increased by 20 percent. Additionally, viewership has increased by 53 percent among teenage girls, and by 24 percent in those aged 18 – 24. According to Apex Marketing and as reported by Al Jazeera, Swift’s presence has effectively generated USD 331.5 million in brand value for the Chiefs and the NFL. 

A case of advertisements: 2023’s Super Bowl LVII vs 2024’s Super Bowl LVIII  

The biggest night in North American advertising, the Super Bowl, with its powerful ratings, is an incredible event that draws millions of views, setting the stage for cultivating brand recognition and top-of-mind recall.

Longtime viewers of the Super Bowl are no strangers to this, and it is not uncommon for the best ads to enjoy as much post-event attention as the games and teams themselves.  

From Budweiser’s unforgettable ‘Puppy Love’ ad spot featuring the friendship of a puppy and a Clydesdale to Volkswagen’s iconic ‘The Force’, which pays tribute to Star Wars, brands have long leveraged the Super Bowl’s popularity to meet their marketing goals.

This year was no different, with a myriad of creative advertisements that have since gone viral online.  

With each 30-second ad spot costing a hefty USD 7 million, brands have understandably brought out the big guns to harness the power of 2024’s Super Bowl ratings. While the movie trailers for Deadpool 3 and Wicked proved to be evergreen staples popular with movie buffs, brands made it their mission to make as much noise as possible – most notably multinational telecommunications conglomerate Verizon, who engaged the one and only Beyoncé to try to ‘break Verizon’. 

Similarly, other brands brought in some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, from CeraVe’s spot featuring Michael Cera and Doritos’ spot fronted by Jenna Ortega to Uber Eats’ spotlighting Jennifer Aniston and Dunkin’s ad boasting a star-studded ensemble of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady. 

Considering Swift’s star power in drawing eyeballs, it makes sense that marketers are fighting tooth and nail to get their slots in the Super Bowl broadcast. While a grand total of 51 ads aired over last year’s Super Bowl broadcast, the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII featured 59 ads, with an estimated total of USD 650 million spent by brands across the board. 

How many people watched 2024’s Super Bowl LVIII? 

Given the incredible popularity of the sport in recent months, it comes as little surprise that 2024’s Super Bowl LVIII has achieved record ratings. According to preliminary figures from Nielsen and CBS, Sunday’s Super Bowl has dethroned last year’s event, making it the most watched Super Bowl of all time with ratings that have pushed it into the annals of the legends. 

Measured across broadcasts in CBS, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, CBS Sports, and NFL digital properties, Sunday’s Super Bowl raked in a historic 123.4 million viewers, setting the record for the highest number of people watching the same broadcast in the history of television. Of the 123.4 million, 112 million viewers were tuned into CBS’ broadcast, setting yet another record for the largest audience ever in a singular network.  

Against last year’s Super Bowl ratings which brought in 115.1 million viewers, 2024’s Super Bowl has emerged the clear winner, shattering all records and ushering in a brand-new age for the NFL. And while American football remains a mystery to many viewers outside of the United States, one thing is for certain: With Taylor Swift now a celebrated part of NFL lore, the future is looking bright. 

And to quote the iconic songstress herself, we can only say: We know we’ve won, so there’s no point in keeping score. 

(Main and featured images: NFL/Instagram)

This story first appeared here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

– How many times was Taylor Swift shown Super Bowl? 

Taylor Swift was shown for a total of 55 seconds during the 2024 Super Bowl. 

– What is Taylor Swift doing after the Super Bowl? 

Taylor Swift was captured celebrating on the field with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the team’s fourth championship win. Afterwards, the pair attended the Chiefs Super Bowl after party to celebrate. 

– Is Super Bowl viewership down? 

As of 2024, the Super Bowl ratings have gone up to 123.4 million viewers, compared to the 2023 Super Bowl, which brought in 115.1 million viewers. Experts credit the ‘Swift bump’ for this surge in viewership, owing to the star power of Taylor Swift. 

– Is the Super Bowl the most-watched? 

The 2024 Super Bowl has emerged as the most watched of all time, with record-breaking ratings of 123.4 million viewers. 

– What were ratings for Super Bowl 2024? 

Preliminary ratings for the 2024 Super Bowl have concluded that 123.4 million viewers tuned in for the festivities, making it the most watched Super Bowl of all time.