Viewership of of Super Bowl LVIII rose 6% to 39 million U.S. households according to measurement company Samba TV.
The household number was the highest in six years, Samba TV said.
The audience for the halftime show starring Usher increased 5% to 30.1 million households.
Samba's early numbers count TV households. Later on Nielsen and other measurement companies will release their estimates of how many people watched the game, either at home or out-of-home. Last year, 115.1 million viewers tuned in, according to Nielsen. iSpot.TV pegged the 2023 figure at more than 118 million. This year's figure obviously will be eagerly awaited.
“There were several factors driving unprecedented buzz for the big game, from the record-breaking ad spend to the Taylor Swift effect,” said Ashwin Navin, co-founder and CEO of Samba TV.
Samba found that the audience for the Super Bowl skewed towards white households (5% higher than the U.S. population overall) and older baby boomers (6% higher).
Poppi had the most-watched commercial during the Super Bowl, according to Samba TV, which estimates Poppi’s spot was watched by 29.1 million viewers. Snapchat’s ad also was watched by 29.1 million viewers.
“Poppi took home the title of top ad this year for Super Bowl viewers and the quarter of Americans who tuned in just for the ads this year. The ad not only captured buzz, but it won the Super Bowl ads race, reaching more than 29.1 million homes,” Samba TV’s Navin said.
According to research and analytics firm EDO, Disney’s commercial featuring Deadpool and Wolverine had the most impact of the Super Bowl Ads, generating 2,243% more engagement than the median–performing Super Bowl ads.
An ad for the film Wicked was second and a retrospective ad for Volkswagen was No. 3.
Also in the top 10, according to EDO were ads for Poppi, Temu, Twisters, He Gets Us, Robert F. Kennedy for President and Shogun.
EDO noted that during the game, foreign auto brands stepped into the void left by the Detroit automaker. All four auto advertisers at this year’s game drove more engagement than the median Super Bowl ,
Online retailer Temu ran the same, jingle-powered animated ad repeatedly throughout the game. While many critics panned the spot — which appeared six times from pre-kick through post-game — four of Temu’s airings placed in the game’s top 15 most effective spots. Its most impactful airing finished fifth in EDO’s rankings, generating 1,343% more engagement than the median Super Bowl ad, EDO said.
Alcohol ads all but dry up after a heavy investment a year ago. AB InBev’s exclusive rights to the Super Bowl ended at last year’s game, and nine beer and liquor brands took the field in the new era of open play. Just four brands took the plunge this year — AB InBev’s Michelob Ultra, Bud Light, and Budweiser, and Molson Coors’ Coors Light. Budweiser led the pack by driving 84% more engagement than the median by bringing back its Clydesdales.
Streaming is the new syndication, and brands played to our penchant for binging reruns by reuniting cast members from shows like 30 Rock (Booking.com), Scrubs (T-Mobile), Friends (Uber Eats), and Suits (e.l.f. and T-Mobile). Mountain Dew Baja Blast scored big by bringing together Aubrey Plaza and Nick Offerman from Parks & Recreation, generating 196% more engagement than the median Super Bowl ad.
