Ahead of Rihanna’s return at Super Bowl LVII, 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 Rihanna takes the stage in Glendale at the midpoint of Super Bowl LVII between the Eagles 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
- 260 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
- 154 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. Beyoncé & Bruno Mars
- Super Bowl 50 (2016)
- Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- 153 million official YouTube views
This one’s a bit different from the others, as Queen Bey and Bruno weren’t the ostensible headliners — rather, that was Coldplay’s distinction on this Sunday in the Bay Area.
But let’s be honest about who ultimately stole the show and won the day.
Click here to watch Beyoncé and Bruno Mars’ Super Bowl 50 halftime performance on YouTube.
So, how about the rest of the top 10?
Top 10 Most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show Performances
| Ranking | Artist(s) | Year | YouTube Video Title | Views |
| 1 | Jennifer Lopez, Shakira | 2020 | Shakira & J. Lo’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show | 260M |
| 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 | 154M |
| 3 | Beyoncé, Bruno Mars | 2016 | Beyoncé & Bruno Mars Crash the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show | NFL | 153M |
| 4 | Coldplay, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars | 2016 | Coldplay’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show feat. Beyoncé & Bruno Mars! | NFL | 113M |
| 5 | Lady Gaga | 2017 | Lady Gaga’s FULL Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show | NFL | 75M |
| 6 | Katy Perry, Missy Elliott, Lenny Kravitz | 2017 | Katy Perry’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show! | Feat. Missy Elliott & Lenny Kravitz | NFL | 75M |
| 7 | The Weeknd | 2021 | The Weeknd’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show | 54M |
| 8 | Prince | 2007 | Prince Performs “Purple Rain” During Downpour | Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show | NFL | 49M |
| 9 | Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi | 2019 | Maroon 5 (feat. Travis Scott & Big Boi) | Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show | 20M |
| 10 | Justin Timberlake | 2018 | Justin Timberlake’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LII Halftime Show! | NFL Highlights | 18M |
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