Most watched Super Bowl halftime performance was Rihanna with 121.017 million viewers in 2023 and Jennifer Lopez & Shakira on YouTube in 2020 with 284 million.
Rihanna is the record holder with the most number of viewers in a halftime show and an additional 156 million views on YouTube.
A number of stars and performers have previously graced the stage during the halftime shows over the years. The entertainment segment at the half of the championship game is something everybody anticipates.
There is always a buzz around who will be chosen as the headliner for the show. Along with TV viewership, YouTube has become one of the major platforms that stream the halftime show for later viewership.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, now have an outstanding 284 million views on Youtube in addition to their 104 million views on live TV.
Top 10 Most Watched Super Bowl Halftime Shows
Most-watched Super Bowl halftime shows on live TV are Rihanna with 121.017 million fans and Katy Perry with 121 million viewers.
On YouTube, Jenifer Lopez and Shakira, have the highest number of views of 284 million.
The stars in the music industry like Coldplay, Bruno Mars, and Shakira are some of the biggest names to have performed at the halftime show.
Viewers also watch the show on YouTube whenever they want to and is a major platform to experience the performances.
10. Jennifer Lopez & Shakira
The Latina duo performed at the Super Bowl LIV in 2020 and garnered a total of 104 million viewers.
The duo performed their hits with Jennifer Lopez performing on “Waiting for Tonight” and “Jenny From the Block”, while Shakira performed on “She Wolf” and Hips Don’t Lie among other hits.
They were joined on stage by J Balvin and Bad Bunny as guests.
9. Justin Timberlake
In 2018, Justin Timberlake headlined the Super Bowl LII and had a viewership of 106.6 million. He had a setlist of 11 songs with “SexyBack”, “Mirrors”, and Can’t Stop The Feeling” as some of his hits on the list.
His performance has 18 million and 32 million views on the NFL and his personal channel respectively.
8. Black Eyed Peas
Super Bowl XLV was headlined by Black Eyed Peas in 2011. The pop-rap group had 110.2 million viewers in the halftime show and performed their hits like “I Gotta Feeling” and “Where Is The Love”.
They were accompanied by the legendary guitarist “Slash” and Fergie for the song “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. Usher was also amongst the guest and performed on “OMG” with will.i.am.
7. Beyoncé
With 110.8 million total viewers, the Super Bowl XLVII was headlined by Beyoncé and saw the re-union of the Destiny’s Child as Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams were the special guests.
The trio performed on “Independent Women Part I” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, whereas Beyoncé performed on her solo hits “Halo” and “Run The World (Girls)” among a few on the list.
6. Madonna
In 2012, Madonna headlined the Super Bowl XLVI with a total viewership of 114 million. The show had CeeLo Green, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., and LMFAO all featuring as special guests.
M.I.A. was the center of attention for the wrong reasons and she flipped off the camera. She performed a few of her solo hits and the rest were all featuring a different artist.
She has 38 million views of her performance, uploaded on her personal channel.
5. Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars headlined the Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 with a total of 115.3 million viewers. Bruno entertained the crowd with hits like “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Treasure” with special guests the Red Hot Chilli Peppers performing in “Give It Away”.
4. Coldplay
Coldplay headlined the Super Bowl 50 and garnered 115.5 million viewers during their show. “Yellow”, and “Viva La Vida”, were some of the hits they performed, and were later joined by none other than Bruno Mars and Beyoncé.
They have an additional 123 million views on YouTube on the NFL’S channel.
3. Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga makes the top 3 with 117.5 million viewers for her 2017 halftime show in Super Bowl LI. Her hit songs “Poker Face”, “Bad Romance”, and “Born This Way” among the set list helped her gain a massive number of viewers.
Lady Gaga, on YouTube, has 77 million views on the NFL’s channel and another 91 million on her personal channel.
2. Katy Perry
The former number-one on the list for seven years has 121 million viewers in Super Bowl XLIX. Her set list had numerous hits such as “Firework”, “Roar”, and “I Kissed A Girl (ft. Lenny Kravitz) among a few. Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz were the special guests to share the stage with Perry.
She has an additional 86 million views on YouTube, courtesy of the NFL’s channel.
1. Rihanna
Rihanna holds the number one spot with 121.017 million viewers for her halftime show in Super Bowl LVII which was her first live performance in a long time. Her hits “Umbrella”, “Diamonds”, and “We Found Love” were among the setlist.
The NFL channel on YouTube has 155 million views of the 2023 halftime show.
How Many Viewers Watched The Super Bowl Halftime Show 2022
The Super Bowl halftime show 2022 (LVI) had an average viewership of 103.4 million headlined by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.
The show had special guests 50 Cent, and Anderson .Paak. The show was critically acclaimed and won the Primetime Emmy Awards in three different categories.
The set list had hits like “California Love”, “In da Club”, “Lose Yourself”, “Still D.R.E.” and more.
Moreover, the powerhouses of the music industry have a total of 199 million views of their performance at the halftime show on the NFL’s YouTube channel as well.
How Many Viewers Watched The Super Bowl Halftime Show 2023
The Super Bowl halftime show in 2023 had an average viewership of 118.7 million and peaked at a staggering 121.017 million viewers which is the highest in the history of the halftime show.
The anticipation is always high when it comes to the halftime show and when Rihanna was announced as the headliner, the number of viewers was expected to be high.
The numbers were way beyond expectations and the show delivered one of the best halftime shows of all time. On the other hand, the best star-spangled banner performance Super Bowl was given by Whitney Houston in 1991.
How Many Super Bowl Halftime Shows Have There Been
There have been 56 Super Bowl Halftime shows. The University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band performed in the first Super Bowl in 1967.
Super Bowl halftime shows date back to as early as 1967, marking the Super Bowl LVII as number 57. The halftime show has always been a part of the Super Bowl attracting many viewers.
The entertainment during the championship game has been a tradition rather than just a show. During the initial halftime shows i.e. before the 90s, Marching Bands, Drill Teams, and the dance group “Up with People” were mostly headlining the shows.
It was only after the 90s that the stars in the music industry started performing in the halftime shows and started with the boy band “New Kids on the Block” and in 1993, the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson headlined the show.
Super Bowl Halftime Show Viewership By Year
Rating for Super Bowl halftime show over the past ten years has seen highs with 121.017 million viewers and lows with 96.7 million viewers with records being shattered every now and then.
One of the biggest platforms to be performing on, the excitement for the halftime show is always thrilling with the number of viewers varying each year.
The list shows the halftime show viewership by year of the past ten years (in millions)
| Bruno Mars (Super Bowl XLVIII) (2014) | 115.3 |
| Katy Perry (Super Bowl XLIX) (2015) | 121 |
| Coldplay (Super Bowl 50) (2016) | 115.5 |
| Lady Gaga (Super Bowl LI) (2017) | 117.5 |
| Justin Timberlake (Super Bowl LII) (2018) | 106.6 |
| Maroon 5 (Super Bowl LIII) (2019) | 99.04 |
| Shakira & Jennifer Lopez (Super Bowl LIV) (2020) | 104 |
| The Weekend (Super Bowl LV) (2021) | 96.7 |
| Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar (Super Bowl LVI) (2022) | 103.4 |
| Rihanna (Super Bowl LVII) (2023) | 121.017 |
What Was The Least Watched Super Bowl
Lowest watched Super Bowl with 39.12 million viewership was Super Bowl II on January 14, 1968, with a rating of 36.8, and the highest with 121.017 million in 2023.
The major contributor to the vast difference in numbers is an obvious reason that access to live TV in the 60s was not as easy as it is today and the Super Bowl was in its initial phase and also had faced glitches in the cable lines back in the day.
The least-watched Super Bowl since 2000 (in millions)
- Super Bowl XXXV (2001) – 84.34
- Super Bowl XXXIX (2005) – 86.07
- Super Bowl XXXVI (2002) – 86.80
- Super Bowl XXXIV (2000) – 88.47
- Super Bowl XXXVII (2003) – 88.64
- Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004) – 89.80
- Super Bowl XL (2006) – 90.75
- Super Bowl XLI (2007) – 93.18
- Super Bowl LV (2021) – 95.2
- Super Bowl XLII (2008) – 97.45