Super Bowl LVIII was most-watched television show ever with 123 million viewers

Super Bowl LVIII was the most-watched television show in history, as an estimated 123.4 million people watched the Kansas City Chiefs rally in overtime to defeat the San Francisco 49ers.

CBS Sports said that figure included viewers across all platforms and was up 7% from last year’s 115.1 million average viewers, which was also the previous record.

This year’s game was the most-streamed Super Bowl in history with a record audience on Paramount+, the network said. It added that the network saw its best postseason viewership since 1998.

Sunday’s big game had a lot for audiences for tune in for — two of the best teams in the National Football League, a halftime show from Usher, wacky commercials and, of course, a very public love story.

Those who tuned in just for the Super Bowl’s iconic slate of commercials saw a lot of snack ads for brands like Oreo, Pringles, Mountain Dew, Doritos and M&Ms. There were also plenty of celebrities endorsements from the likes of Christopher Walken, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Tom Brady, Beyoncé, Quinta Brunson, Jenna Ortega, Kate McKinnon and Jennifer Aniston.

The NFL has enjoyed strong viewership throughout this year’s playoffs. Late last month, the Chiefs beats the Baltimore Ravens in the most watched AFC Championship game ever.

Live sports has showed strength even as TV viewership has fragmented and moved to streaming platforms. The value of sports rights showed this month as Disney’s ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery said they would launch a joint steaming platform later this year. ESPN later announced it would release its own streaming service in 2025.

— CNBC’s Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.