NEW YORK: The Philadelphia Eagles’ easy win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl football showdown delivered a record television audience, becoming the most-watched event in US TV history, according to revised numbers released on Tuesday.
The number rose 3.5% to 127.7 million, according to final numbers from the ratings company Nielsen. The tally includes Fox Corp’s namesake network, its free Tubi streaming service, Telemundo and other outlets. Tubi alone delivered 13.6 million viewers, Fox said.
Last year, 123.4 million tuned in for the US National Football League championship to see the Chiefs pull off a thrilling overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
In contrast, the Eagles’ 40-22 win in New Orleans last Sunday didn’t make for as much excitement.
The team took an early commanding lead and the Chiefs didn’t score until late in the third quarter when they were down 34-0.
The Eagles’ strong defense, which sacked Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes six times and made two interceptions, helped pave the way for the franchise’s second Super Bowl win.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the game’s most valuable player after throwing two touchdowns and scoring another himself.
Rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean got an interception and ran it back for a touchdown on his 22nd birthday.
A 50-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes during the fourth quarter came too late. The Chiefs were seeking their third Super Bowl win in a row, a feat yet to be achieved by a National Football League franchise.
This year’s game marked the first time a sitting president attended a Super Bowl. The halftime show by rapper Kendrick Lamar, turned into a continuation of his high-profile feud with fellow singer Drake.
It was the most-watched halftime performance in history, according to Fox. — Bloomberg
