Super Bowl LX Breaks Historical U.S. TV Records as Seahawks Defeat Patriots and Primetime in Milan Olympics Coverage Retains Millions of Late-Night Viewers

Sunday night’s Super Bowl LX was more than just a football game—it was a historic television event.

NBC has revealed that the broadcast of the showdown between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks drew a staggering 137.8 million viewers in the United States, setting the highest peak audience in U.S. television history.

Even though the matchup wasn’t considered the most thrilling on the field, fans across NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL+ remained glued to their screens, proving that the Super Bowl’s appeal extends far beyond the final score.

Seahawks Take the Field, Audience Takes the Record

On the field, the Seahawks secured a 29-13 victory over the Patriots, a solid win but not necessarily the most edge-of-your-seat contest of the season. Off the field, however, the story was all about the numbers.

Midway through the second quarter, viewership peaked just shy of 138 million, breaking U.S. television records and demonstrating the enduring power of America’s most-watched sporting event.

Across the entire broadcast, nearly 125 million Americans tuned in, making this Super Bowl the second most-watched ever, trailing only last year’s Chiefs vs. Eagles game.

Nielsen also confirmed that this edition of the Super Bowl is now the most-watched show in NBCUniversal history and the highest-rated Super Bowl in U.S. Spanish-language television, cementing its wide-reaching cultural impact.

Bad Bunny Turns Halftime into a Social Media Phenomenon

Bad Bunny’s halftime show transformed the evening into a massive digital event.

From 8:15 to 8:30 PM, the Puerto Rican superstar’s performance averaged 128.2 million viewers, while social media engagement reached unprecedented levels.

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In just 24 hours, clips from his performance racked up four billion views, representing a 137 percent increase from the previous year.

The top three most-viewed NFL social media posts ever now all feature Bad Bunny, with the climactic “Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate Is Love” segment at the top.

To put it in perspective, the total viewing time of NFL’s social clips from his performance amounts to over 115 years of collective watching, highlighting the enormous cultural footprint of the halftime show.

From Super Bowl to Olympics Without Missing a Beat

Viewers stayed tuned even after the final whistle, as NBC seamlessly transitioned from Super Bowl LX into Primetime in Milan, its coverage of the Winter Olympics highlights.’

Despite airing late at night, the show drew an impressive 42 million viewers, a remarkable figure for highlight-focused programming.

Veteran broadcaster Mike Tirico called the Super Bowl before effortlessly hosting the Olympics coverage, demonstrating NBC’s ability to leverage major events in succession.

Tirico even hopped on a flight to Italy immediately after the broadcast, showcasing the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into orchestrating such a massive media operation.

What’s Next?

Looking forward, NBC and the NFL are expected to continue exploring multi-platform broadcasting strategies, blending traditional TV with streaming and social media to keep audiences engaged.

The success of this year’s Super Bowl, both in terms of live viewership and digital consumption, may also influence future halftime performer selections, with a greater focus on cultural and social media impact.

Additionally, the seamless transition from the Super Bowl to Olympic coverage signals a new approach for networks: keeping audiences tuned in across multiple major events.

Other networks are likely to study this model closely, aiming to replicate the combination of sports, entertainment, and digital engagement that proved so effective this Sunday.

Summary

Super Bowl LX set a historic television record with 137.8 million peak viewers, while the Seahawks claimed a 29-13 victory over the Patriots.

Bad Bunny’s halftime show became a social media phenomenon, generating four billion views in 24 hours and dominating NFL social media history.

Following the game, NBC transitioned into Olympic coverage, drawing 42 million viewers and showcasing the network’s ability to keep audiences engaged across consecutive mega-events.

This blend of sports, entertainment, and digital engagement continues to redefine how audiences experience live television.