Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show becomes the most-watched Super Bowl performance, dethroning Michael Jackson’s long standing viewership record
The 2025 Super Bowl was the most-watched in history, with an estimated 126 million viewers, peaking at 137.7 million just before halftime, following a Philadelphia Eagles victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Nielsen fast national figures and Tubi/NFL first-party analytics.
Kendrick Lamar, who won the Grammys with five wins, is a top rapper. His performance featured references to his feud with Drake and the song “Not Like Us.” The halftime show is the most-watched of all time, according to Roc Nation and Fox Sports. The NFL reposted the tweet on its official X account.
Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance has become the most-watched Super Bowl performance
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance has been widely shared on social media, featuring clips of his song “Not Like Us,” the iconic “Say, Drake” line, and superstar cameos from Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, and Serena Williams.
Roc Nation announced that the rapper’s halftime show has become the most-watched Super Bowl performance, with 133.5 million viewers, surpassing Michael Jackson’s record of 133.4 million in 1993. This is an incredible feat for Lamar, as he was the first solo rapper to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
Lamar, the 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner, performed at the halftime show of the Grammy Awards, featuring his five-time Grammy-winning song “Not Like Us,” a diss track written for fellow rapper Drake, and singing 12 songs. Lamar’s halftime show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, featured powerful imagery created by his dancers, including an American flag created during his song “Humble.”
Recent halftime shows have featured artists like Lamar and Usher, who have gained significant popularity among millennials and Gen Z. These artists have drew a larger audience than any other halftime show in recent history, with 123.4 million and 121 million viewers, respectively.
The Super Bowl halftime show has evolved to cater to modern entertainment norms and audience needs, with Gen Z increasingly watching social video and live streams over live TV broadcasts, according to a 2024 Deloitte survey. The NFL has likely leaned towards younger, hipper artists to capture this audience.
Apple Music began sponsoring the halftime show in 2023, featuring Rihanna. Apple Music and Beats’ vice president, Oliver Schusser, stated in 2024 that viewership stats are not their success metric. “Our mission is to work with the NFL and Roc Nation to make the halftime show bigger and more global, and a longer event,” Schusser said. “We want it to be about more than just that Sunday night. There is a bigger story to tell before and after.”
Also Read: The NFL reportedly issued an apology to Lil Wayne for choosing Kendrick Lamar for the halftime show
Dot and SZA will embark on their Grand National Tour in April, taking over more stadiums than New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome, with a U.K. and Europe leg scheduled for July.
