Super Bowl LV attracts lowest ratings since 2007

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Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

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The 2021 Super Bowl had the event's lowest TV ratings since 2007.

Super Bowl LV, during which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, attracted 96.4m viewers on CBS, the network announced on Tuesday.

This marks the lowest numbers since 2007, when, according to data provided to CNBC, 93.1m viewers tuned in to watch the game.

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Viewers were possibly discouraged from tuning in by the fact that the game lost its competitive edge by halftime. Tampa Bay, bolstered for the first time by Tom Brady's presence, won 31-9.

The coronavirus pandemic also limited the possibility for viewers to gather for watch parties, which might have discouraged some from watching the event altogether.

The most watched Super Bowl ever was in 2015, when the game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks drew 114.4m viewers. The Patriots won 28-24.

According to CBS, Sunday's game still broke a couple of records by being the most live-streamed NFL game with 5.7m viewers per minute, and by becoming the first NFL game with more than 1bn streaming minutes in total.

Viewers in Kansas City led in all metered markets, followed by Boston (the primary fanbase for Brady's former team, the Patriots). Tampa came in third position.

The Associated Press contributed to this story