Super Bowl ratings revealed as 'Taylor Effect' aids biggest ever audience

Last year's audience figures were record-breaking at the time, with a total viewership figure of 115.1 million on Fox, but this year's records have broken 2023's figures and risen by 7 per cent.

The game was not only the most watched in Super Bowl history, though, as it was also the second most watched TV programme of all time - being usurped only by the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.

So, why has this year's Super Bowl attracted so many viewers? Well, Taylor Swift has a lot to do with it, with levels of excitement building for some time over Swift's attendance at the game.

Cheering on boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, the impact of Swift's attendance at Sunday evening's game brought in a new legion of fans who otherwise wouldn't have been as interested in the match.

According to Variety, 20 per cent of Super Bowl 2024 viewers said they were rooting for the Chiefs because of Kelce and Swift's relationship, according to a flash survey conducted by consumer research firm Numerator.

According to the same data, 48 per cent of viewers surveyed said they were cheering for the Chiefs, compared with 37 per cent for the 49ers.

The same research posed the statement of "I think Taylor Swift is a distraction for the NFL", to which 34 per cent of those surveyed responded with "somewhat" or "completely" agree, while 32 per cent neither agree nor disagree and 34 per cent "somewhat" or "completely" disagree, according to the researcher.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that there's been a major increase in Brits' interest in the NFL, especially for fans of Swift.

Over half (51 per cent) of respondents who identified as a Swiftie said they would be more likely to watch the Super Bowl this year in comparison to last year.

Speaking about that data, Sky Sports NFL analyst Phoebe Schecter said: "It's great that the sport I love is growing in the UK. You can feel that passion in the participation at grassroots levels in flag football and full contact, as well as the audience figures and interaction on social media."

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