3 of the Most Watched Super Bowl Halftime Shows of All Time

Is the main event of the Super Bowl the game? Well, it is supposed to be, but there are surely tens of millions of viewers who tune into the game merely for the halftime show. After all, the NFL doesn’t book big-name artists just for entertainment purposes, as they garner far more eyeballs when they have someone like Kendrick Lamar on stage.

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Thanks to the attention these performers attract, there have been several musicians to carry the NFL into ratings royalty. That being so, here are three of the most-watched Super Bowl halftime performances of all time.

Michael Jackson Takes The Stage in 1993

Michael Jackson is one of the best-selling artists of all time, so of course the NFL asked him to perform at the 1993 halftime show. In addition to the plethora of ratings it received, Jackson’s ornate and grandiose performance turned the halftime show into one of the most coveted gigs in music.

Regarding the numbers, Jackson’s halftime show is the most viewed of all time. While the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants took a break in the locker room, Michael Jackson took the stage and garnered a reported 133.4 million American viewers, per Front Office Sports.

Rihanna Graces The 2023 Super Bowl

Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl appearance is arguably the most memorable Super Bowl halftime show of the 21st century. Besides the sheer quality and majesty of the show, Rihanna was also pregnant during her incredibly mobile and physically laborious performance.

Thanks to these factors, Rihanna’s halftime show during the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles’ championship game acquired 121 million viewers according to Billboard. As it goes for Super Bowl performances, future performers have quite the precedent to live up to.

Coldplay & Co Take Over Super Bowl l

Chris Martin and Coldplay weren’t the only musicians to take the stage at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show. In addition to Martin and Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars appeared on stage and helped Martin sing “Yellow,” “Paradise,” and “Viva la Vida.”

Thanks to the cast of characters, Chris Martin’s halftime performance garnered 115.5 million viewers. According to Billboard, it is the fifth most-watched halftime performance of all time. Lastly, it is one of the few Super Bowl halftime shows to feature more than one famous artist. Others to do so include Usher’s 2024 halftime show and Eminem’s in 2022.

Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show per Getty Images