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Thursday, January 1, 2026

Super Bowl LVIII Scores Big With International Viewers

  • Global audiences for the game grew 10% from last year.
  • It’s a promising data point as the league expands globally, with its first game in Brazil coming up.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL released its international Super Bowl audience numbers Wednesday, revealing a 10% increase in viewership from last year’s game.

According to the league, 62.5 million viewers watched the Chiefs’ overtime victory over the 49ers, which also marked the game’s biggest U.S. audience with 202.4 million cumulative viewers. Per the league, total audience numbers hit 24.1 million in Mexico, 18.8 million in Canada, 3.8 million in Germany, 3.7 million in the United Kingdom, and nearly 3 million in Australia. Average viewership went up between 5% and 26% compared to last year in those countries. Meanwhile, China clocked its most-watched Super Bowl in seven years.

The growing audiences in Germany and the U.K.—which averaged 1.9 million and 1.2 million viewers, respectively, a 13% and 18% jump from last year—were particularly impressive given that kickoff took place after midnight in Germany (and only an hour earlier in London) and that the game stretched to nearly two overtimes.

That growth is an encouraging metric for the league as it continues to expand its international reach. The NFL held five international games in 2023, with three in London and two in first-time host Frankfurt, Germany. Among the five international contests next season: South America will get its first NFL game when the Eagles start their season in Sāo Paulo, Brazil, on the Friday of kickoff weekend. 

In addition to viewership, the league also shared that NFL social media channels saw significant increases in follower count and engagement across all international markets.

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