LOS ANGELES — An estimated 101.1 million people watched the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl over the Cincinnati Bengals on NBC and Telemundo, up from 2021 and capping a stirring playoff schedule for the NFL.
Last year's game had a television audience of 92 million, the lowest since 2006.
The Nielsen company said another 11.2 million people streamed the game, putting the total audience at 112.3 million people.
The game went down to the wire, like most playoff games this season, and competitiveness usually adds viewers. The game defied trends in television, which consistently sees viewership drop from year to year.
Nielsen said that 99.2 million people watched the game on NBC, and another 1.9 million on the Spanish-language network Telemundo.
NBC sold out of its ad space briskly and said an undisclosed number of 30-second spots went for $7 million, a jump from the $6.5 million that last year’s ads went for.
Some of the Super Bowl ads released include Michelob ULTRA's "Superior Bowl" spot with Peyton Manning and Serena Williams, Budweiser's "A Clydesdale's Journey" and Guy Fieri in the "Land of Loud Flavors."
Advertisers also used star power and nostalgia for the big game.
“The vast majority of ads are including big starpower, from athletes to actors to chefs,” said Kimberly Whitler, marketing professor at the University of Virginia.
General Motors’ ad features characters from the “Austin Powers” movies hawking GM’s electric vehicle technology, including a reprise of Mike Myers’ role as Austin Powers’ nemesis, Dr. Evil. And Verizon recreated the 1996 movie “The Cable Guy” with Jim Carrey to tout its 5G Internet offering.