Usher’s Super Bowl halftime show had bigger viewing figures than both Dr. Dre and Rihanna’s performances.
The R&B singer’s performance in Las Vegas was watched by over 30 million households, which corresponds to around 100 million viewers in the U.S.
According to TV intelligence company Samba TV, that is 5 percent higher than Rihanna’s baby-bump revealing performance last year.
It is also a million more households than the audience for Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent’s star-studded set in 2022.
The Super Bowl itself was the most watched in history as 123.4 million people tuned into the game, which was broadcast on CBS as well as Nickelodeon and Paramount Plus.
The audience is also the second biggest viewing figure for a TV broadcast in history after the moon landing in 1969.
Taylor Swift is reportedly part of the viewing figures boom as she has been a frequent fixture at NFL games since she started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and is being credited with bringing a different audience to the sport.
Viewing figures were up throughout the playoffs as well, with games averaging 38.5 million viewers.
Usher’s halftime performance was well-received by fans as the R&B legend cycled through 13 of his biggest hits with a number of special guests including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri and will.i.am in a futuristic space mask.
The performance, which was watched by the likes of JAY-Z, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in the crowd, featured a lot of complex dance choreography, Usher taking his shirt off and at one point a roller skates sequence.
There was also a tribute to Atlanta’s strip club culture when Ludacris performed his verse from “Yeah!” surrounded by pole dancers.
The performance concluded with Usher saying, “I took the world to the A” and telling the crowd in Las Vegas that he loved them.
The Super Bowl itself finished with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 25-22, with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes being named MVP for the second year running. The Chiefs also became the first team to retain the NFL title in 20 years.
