Defense wins championships — and Super Bowl LX showed it can get ratings too. NBC’s Sunday telecast of the Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots averaged 124.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. While this figure fell short of last year’s record 127.7 million viewers set on Fox, it still demonstrated the enduring appeal of NFL’s biggest event.
Seattle’s smothering defense, which prevented New England from ever getting on track at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, resonated more with serious football fans than casual watchers. However, the event’s broader viewership was likely boosted by the controversy surrounding halftime performer Bad Bunny.
Bad Bunny’s halftime show averaged 128.2 million viewers, surpassing the game’s average audience. The performance, which aired after the second quarter when the game remained close, peaked at 137.8 million viewers.
The NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny sparked backlash from right-wing commentators who objected to having an artist sing exclusively in Spanish at America’s premier sporting event. Bad Bunny has also been outspoken about the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics. On his last tour, he skipped the mainland U.S., citing concerns that his fans might be targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In response, the right-wing activist group Turning Point USA hosted an alternative halftime show on YouTube, which attracted over 6 million viewers—a surprisingly high number given the program’s details were only revealed days before game day. Their concert featured Kid Rock along with several lesser-known country artists but received a lukewarm critical reception on social media.
Still, the sizable audience for the alternative show demonstrated that a popular musical act could capture a significant portion of the audience already tuned in for the game. “More bands should go head to head with the halftime show and not in a political way,” said a rival network executive who declined to be named. “It would be a good stunt for HBO Max or some other company that’s not an NFL rights holder.”
Nielsen’s enhancements to its measurement methodology—including better tracking of viewing through internet connections and set-top boxes—likely contributed to higher NFL TV ratings throughout the season. These additional data sources have been incorporated into TV ratings since September.
Another 3.3 million viewers watched the Spanish-language broadcast on Telemundo. NBC did not release specific viewing figures from its Peacock streaming platform but said that Super Bowl LX marked the biggest day ever for Peacock.
NBC sold out commercial spots during the game, with an average price of $8 million for a 30-second advertisement. Some spots reportedly sold for as much as $10 million.
USA Today’s annual “Ad Meter” panel named Budweiser’s “American Icons” as the favorite commercial of the telecast.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-02-10/2026-super-bowl-ratings-second-largest-audience-in-history
