The 2024 Super Bowl is already the most watched event in the history of television in the United States, with permission for the moon landing

The most watched event in the history of American television.

Beyond the epic victory of the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers, that is the big headline left by the Super Bowl held last Sunday at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (Nevada, USA).

The figure is impressive and far exceeds the previous one: 123.4 million viewers followed the final match of the American Soccer League for four and a half hours and no less than 202.4 million viewers connected with the broadcast on at some point, in a match that was especially extended until going to extra time, the second in the trophy's 58-year history, and that featured a guest that swept the masses: Taylor Swift.

The game's previous viewership record was very recent: it was achieved last year, when the Chiefs won, again, this time against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Then there were 115.1 million people who, on average, connected with the broadcast;

and around 181 people who stopped by to see it at some point.

Although year after year the Super Bowl usually grows in numbers, it does so slightly, but this year the jump has been enormous: 7%, almost nine million viewers on average and 10% in the one-time connection.

According to media such as

and

, these 202 million people represent the maximum number of spectators ever officially recorded for a televised event in the United States. There are no exact data, but it is estimated that the arrival of man to the moon, which could be seen on television in July 1969, brought together between 125 and 150 million viewers on the screens who watched the Apollo 11 moon landing. Needless to say, 55 years ago the world, and especially the world of entertainment, was different, with just a handful of channels, much fewer televisions and of course without internet, platforms or anything similar.

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In this case, most of the viewers came through conventional television, those who watched it on the CBS network: 112 million, which is the highest peak for a network in the history of the United States. The rest is added with Paramount+ (which streamed it

, Nickelodeon (with a children's version presented by SpongeBob), Univisión (in Spanish), CBS Sports and NFL digital.

The reasons for the peak in Super Bowl viewers are complex to understand, but there are two clear and key ones.

On the one hand, of the 58 editions of the cup final that celebrates the best team in the American Football League (NFL), this has been one of the longest.

In total, the match lasted 3 hours and 44 minutes;

They usually last around three hours.

Only two in its history (and one of them partly due to a 30-minute technical stoppage due to a blackout) lasted more than four.

Its 74 minutes and 57 seconds of effective play makes this LVIII Super Bowl the one with the most minutes played in history and the 7th longest NFL game.

In fact, it was so long because there was a tie and it lasted into a fifth quarter (the usual number is four).

With a tedious start, the fourth and especially the fifth quarter were exciting, and managed to hook perhaps not so loyal viewers.

So did the halftime with Usher's music, as well as the advertisements (at a rate of seven million dollars per 30 seconds), regular protagonists of the day.

In one of the commercial breaks, Beyoncé announced a new album.

Usher, at halftime of the 2024 Super Bowl. Associated Press/LaPresse (APN)

But there was also another hooking element, one that attracted many new fans to watch this game that, like those in the regular season throughout this year, have been growing and growing in terms of audiences.

And that talisman is Taylor Swift.

The artist is one of the most powerful and one who manages to attract the most crowds in the world of entertainment;

In fact, she is immersed in a tour of more than 150 concerts around the planet for which she has immediately sold out all the tickets and which has made her a billionaire;

This concert,

, has also been seen in theaters and has broken box office records for a concert around the world, with more than $260 million in revenue.

Swift, 34, draws in the masses, especially millennial women, and turns everything she touches into gold;

In fact, her participation in the political issue in the next US elections in November is highly anticipated, in which according to experts she can influence the vote.

Hence, his presence was a shock for a part of the public that is not always a regular at the Super Bowl, but wanted to see their idol in the stands.

She flew from Tokyo, where she gave a concert the day before, so she could be present at the final.

The reason was none other than seeing on the field her partner for about six months, the

and star of the Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce.

The artist has attended almost all of Kelce's games since last September, which has already been noticed in the audiences, which have been growing, not to mention the sale of t-shirts, which has multiplied.

And Swift, despite the complaints of some NFL fans, was barely on screen.

In total, 54 seconds, less than a minute.

It doesn't seem crazy for almost four hours of gameplay, but they have more than made up for it.

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