Survey Conducted by Nielsen and NFL Reveals Super Bowl LVIII Estimated to Reach 210 Million Viewers

In collaboration with Nielsen, a leading authority in audience measurement and analytics, the National Football League (NFL) undertook a specialized survey to complement Nielsen’s audience metrics, shedding further light on the viewership trends of Super Bowl LVIII. This survey, designed to capture insights into group viewing dynamics, yielded compelling findings regarding the scale and composition of this year’s Super Bowl audience.

The results of the custom survey indicate that Super Bowl LVIII, broadcasted across various platforms including CBS Television Network, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, CBS Sports, Univision, and NFL digital properties, reached an estimated audience of approximately 210 million viewers. This figure represents nearly two-thirds of the American population and reflects a notable 4% increase compared to the 202 million unique viewers reported by Nielsen’s syndicated ratings service, which encompasses individuals who viewed at least one minute of the game. Moreover, the survey revealed that the average minute audience amounted to around 143 million viewers.

Distinctive among sporting and entertainment events, the Super Bowl commands significant viewership in out-of-home and group settings. To comprehensively capture this phenomenon, the custom survey, conducted among 5,267 households by NORC at the University of Chicago utilizing the AmeriSpeak panel, explored the size and composition of viewing groups across various locations. By encompassing viewership in diverse settings, irrespective of venue, the survey aimed to expand upon existing measurement methodologies employed by Nielsen.

Paul Ballew, Chief Data and Analytics Officer of the NFL, emphasized the significance of this additional measurement, highlighting the Super Bowl’s unique status and the imperative of capturing its complete viewership profile. Deirdre Thomas, Chief Product Officer at Nielsen, underscored the company’s commitment to delivering robust measurement solutions, particularly for marquee events like the Super Bowl, while acknowledging the importance of evolving methodologies such as the expansion of the National Out-Of-Home panel.

In accordance with Nielsen’s National panel measurement, Super Bowl LVIII garnered an average audience of nearly 124 million viewers across multiple platforms, positioning it as the most-watched Super Bowl in history.