The Most Watched Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ever

The Super Bowl has been the undisputed champ of primetime broadcasts for decades. Yet, it reached new heights with 127.7 million viewers watching in 2025.

For casual fans, the game itself may not draw them to their TV screens. Some watch for the commercials, others watch for placing bets, and others to get a look at celebrities who might be viewing from the stands.

But many tune in to see how the Super Bowl Halftime Show will turn out. The Halftime Show has evolved significantly since the first celebrity performed in 1970.

By casting some of the biggest names in entertainment, halftime of the Super Bowl went from an unimportant interlude to attracting millions of casual football fans.

The most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show is Kendrick Lamar’s recent performance at Super Bowl LIX, drawing 133.5 million viewers. Controversy and creative artistic expressions fueled the rapper’s record-setting halftime performance.

Lamar became the first solo hip-hop artist to headline the event, following up his appearance in 2022 for Super Bowl LVI as part of an ensemble of acts.

Second on the list is Michael Jackson’s iconic 1993 set at Super Bowl XXVII, drawing a reported 133.4 million American viewers.

Before Jackson, the Halftime Show was largely uneventful and featured less appealing acts. But his mesmerizing performance was the first time the show attracted more viewers than had been watching the Super Bowl in the first half. 

Today, thanks to Michael Jackson, potential sponsors are bidding more than ever for the right to place their brand name in front of the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Third is Usher’s performance at Super Bowl LVIII, which drew 123.4 million viewers. 

R&B’s timeless star took the stage with a set featuring hits from his three-decade career. As is customary, Usher brought out surprise guests Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Lil Jon to sweeten the performance.

Rihanna’s 2023 performance drew 121 million at Super Bowl LVII for fourth on the list.

During a show where she publicly unveiled her pregnancy, Rihanna made the most out of her first live show in five years. 

Her impact went beyond the show: she saw streaming gains of 140% after the performance.

Drawing 118.5 million viewers for fifth is Katy Perry’s 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. 

The show also won two Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for the dazzling display. Featuring guests Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot, Perry drew three million more viewers than the previous year’s show. 

Ranking The Most Watched Super Bowl Halftime Show

Here is the list of the top 10 most-watched Super Bowl halftime shows based on reported viewership in the United States. The list was compiled using historical data from The Washington Post and The Independent.

• Updated: February 20, 2025

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