NFL Boasts Huge Worldwide Interest In Super Bowl LVIII, But Doesn't Mention Taylor Swift As A Reason

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The NFL is rightly pounding its chest Wednesday morning that the Super Bowl last month was huge around the world, collecting an international audience of 62.5 million, which represents a 10 percent increase over 2023 "as NFL fandom continues to grow around the globe," the NFL said.

"The global interest in our game continues to grow rapidly, from fandom to participation, and the increase in international viewership underlines this," said Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's executive vice president for club business, major events and international. "The Super Bowl is a moment that fuses sport and entertainment like nothing else, and Super Bowl LVIII was no exception, bringing together fans in every time zone around the world for a football and cultural spectacle. 

"The global growth of the game is a major strategic focus for the league and the 32 teams, and we look forward to continued momentum in the coming years."

And this is where we look for mention of the proverbial gorilla in the room:

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 11: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift embrace after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

 

Taylor Swift.

Swift last season began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and the romance sparked instant attention in realms and platforms where the NFL rarely gets mentioned. Swift became the NFL's biggest and most attention-grabbing celebrity fan. And her interest in a football player apparently caused scores of her fans to begin showing interest in football, so it was a business win for the league.

And, yes, Swift was at the Super Bowl. And that got a ton of press both before and during the game. We heard about how she got to Las Vegas from a concert in Japan. We were told and shown where she was sitting. We were shown her entourage. And, of course, we saw her outfit.

It was enough to make a traditional NFL fan barf. But it was also enough to add hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of "Swifties" to the NFL audience. 

The NFL knows this and embraces it. 

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 21: The logo for the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteca on November 21, 2022 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

NFL Huge In Mexico, Like Swift

But the NFL isn't giving any credit to this despite Swift's international appeal, which includes a sizable footprint in Mexico. Yes, "Teylor Suif" is apparently big south of the border. (Maybe another reason people there are leaving the country!)

And Mexico represented big time in the NFL's growth, in that it brought the largest international audience to the game.

Consider these highlights of Super Bowl LVIII media consumption in international markets:

  • Mexico: Total audience reach of 24.1 million, with an average of 8.7 million viewers, up +5 percent year-on-year and the highest since records began. The audience peaked with over 10 million viewers during the Apple Music Halftime Show.
  • Canada: Total audience reach of 18.8 million, with an average of 10.1 million viewers, up +16 percent year-on-year and the highest since tracking began. This game was one of the top 5 most-watched English-language broadcasts on record in Canada. The audience peaked with over 12 million viewers during the Apple Music Halftime Show.
  • Germany: Total audience reach of 3.8 million, averaging 1.9 million viewers, up +13 percent year-on-year.
  • United Kingdom: Total audience reach of 3.7 million, averaging 1.2 million viewers, up +18 percent year-on-year.
  • Australia: Total audience reach of nearly 3 million, averaging over 1.2 million viewers — the highest since records began and up +26 percent year-on-year.
  • China: Most-watched Super Bowl in the last seven years.
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USA Audience Still Dominates

The higher international audience impacted merchandise sales at the NFL Shop, the NFL said. NFL Shop sites in Europe, Canada and Mexico experienced a total sales increase of 39 percent year-on-year, compared to Super Bowl LVII.

Super Bowl LVIII was aired live in over 195 countries or territories and in over 25 languages. But, of course, none of this great international growth compares to the attention the NFL gets in the good ol' USA.

In the United States, a survey from Nielsen and the NFL revealed that Super Bowl LVIII reached approximately 210 million viewers. That's nearly two-thirds of Americans.