The Super Bowl halftime show draws millions of eyeballs, both during and after the game. We dove into the YouTube numbers to determine whose Halftime Show performance is the one true viewership GOAT.
You may have been a sucker for Lady Gaga allegedly base-jumping off the scoreboard in Houston. You may have beamed at Super Bowl LVI’s hip-hop blowout in Inglewood starring Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. You may believe — 100% correctly, to be clear — that Prince bringing the house down in Miami in 2007 owns eternal musical GOAT status for football’s biggest night.
But before Usher takes the stage in Las Vegas at the midpoint of Super Bowl LVIII between the 49ers and Chiefs, we’re not here to talk about nostalgia, hype, or even television ratings. With an assist from JeffBet.com, Boardroom got up close and personal with viewer data from the official NFL YouTube account to determine which performance owns the honest distinction of being the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show there is.
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What’s the Most-viewed Super Bowl Halftime Show of All Time?
Rankings based on official NFL YouTube viewership data via JeffBet.com.
1. Jennifer Lopez & Shakira
- Super Bowl LIV (2020)
- Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- 302 million official YouTube views
Accept no substitutes! Just weeks before COVID-19 lockdowns put all of society and culture on pause, the Super Bowl let civilization as we knew it go out with a bang of the rarest tier.
2. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent
- Super Bowl LVI (2022)
- SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- 251 million official YouTube views
We were promised a ton of star power, and we got it. They even decided to throw a bonus 50 Cent appearance in there for good measure.
Not a bad way to celebrate a Super Bowl in LA (even if you believe the tales that Dr. Dre wasn’t actually playing that piano).
Click here to watch the full Super Bowl LVI halftime performance on YouTube.
3. Rihanna
- Super Bowl LVII (2023)
- State Farm Stadium
- 207 million official YouTube views
The Rihanna Navy showed up as Apple took over the halftime show for the first time. Despite her laundry list of collabs, Rih put on the stunning performance solo, backed by hundreds of dancers and on-point choreography from Paris Goebel.
Plus, she debuted her baby bump, drawing a huge online response — and ensuring that her legions of fans would have to stay waiting for a new album.
Click here to watch Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII halftime performance on YouTube.
So, how about the rest of the top 10?
Top 10 Most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show Performances
Data up to date as of Jan 29, 2024
| Ranking | Artist(s) | Year | YouTube Video Title | Views |
| 1 | Jennifer Lopez, Shakira | 2020 | Shakira & J. Lo’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show | 302M |
| 2 | Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent | 2022 | Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar & 50 Cent FULL Pepsi SB LVI Halftime Show | 251M |
| 3 | Rihanna | 2023 | Rihanna’s FULL Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show | 207M |
| 4 | Beyoncé, Bruno Mars | 2016 | Beyoncé & Bruno Mars Crash the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show | NFL | 176M |
| 5 | Coldplay, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars | 2016 | Coldplay’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show feat. Beyoncé & Bruno Mars! | NFL | 131M |
| 6 | Katy Perry, Missy Elliott, Lenny Kravitz | 2015 | Katy Perry’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show! | Feat. Missy Elliott & Lenny Kravitz | NFL | 93M |
| 7 | Lady Gaga | 2017 | Lady Gaga’s FULL Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show | NFL | 78M |
| 8 | The Weeknd | 2021 | The Weeknd’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show | 63M |
| 9 | Prince | 2007 | Prince Performs “Purple Rain” During Downpour | Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show | NFL | 49M* |
| 10 | Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi | 2019 | Maroon 5 (feat. Travis Scott & Big Boi) | Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show | 21M |
*Exact video appears to have been removed from YouTube — number is valid as of Feb. 2024.
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