Superbowl Sunday, America's most popular unofficial holiday, was a fortuitous event for the Fox Network, as this year's broadcast was the most watched of any Super Bowl ever. This is one of the few programs that actually earns respect in a rapidly streaming economy.
According to Nielsen data provided by Variety, the game is now the third-most-watched TV show of all time. The only programs that can beat it? Super Bowls.
The Patriots-Seahawks game in 2015 drew just over 114 million viewers, while the 2017 Patriots-Falcons game garnered just over 114 million viewers. The statistics for the most recent game include viewership through Fox, Fox Deportes, and streaming Fox and NFL properties.
Rihanna's half-time show, which included a baby bump, acted as a pregnancy reveal, while putting the game on at any given time.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Kansas City Chiefs game, which aired on Tuesday night, far outperformed the previous year's. It doesn't hurt that the Super Bowl in America is considered more of a celebration than a game, with people coming across the country gathering for gatherings to watch.
There are also the commercials. This year there was a Grease-themed ad with John Travolta, a Tubi ad that appeared as the channels were changing, and Rakuten resurrected Clueless complete with original actress Alicia Silverstone.