Viewership for the Super Bowl this weekend has the potential to be the best on record. One FOX executive believes Sunday’s Chiefs/Eagles matchup will surpass the mark set by the last Super Bowl played at State Farm Stadium.
In 2015, Patriots/Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX drew in 115.2 million on NBC. Last year’s Super Bowl, which featured the Rams and Bengals, was the first since 2017 to have an audience larger than 110 million.
Mike Mulvihill, FOX Sports Executive Vice President and Head of Strategy & Analytics, told Sports Business Journal that the trend is pointing toward 115 million again.
“We’re going to see a huge pop in Philly and probably a little bit of a pop in New York,” Mulvihill said. “Those eastern Pennsylvania markets, Scranton and Harrisburg, are bigger than people really realize. I think we’ll see at least a million additional viewers just from the Eagles’ home territory.”
Mulvihill also said the fact that viewership for the regular season across the board, as well as playoffs, has been the best in eight years is a big reason why he’s anticipating a record-setting audience.
“The big events of this season have really delivered, so that gives you a backdrop of optimism,” he said.
