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\n\tThis year\u2019s Super Bowl has made television history, with the broadcast setting a ratings record for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n
\n\tAccording to FoxSports<\/a>, an average of 126 million viewers tuned in to watch their broadcast on Sunday (Feb. 9), which saw the Philadelphia Eagles emerge victorious over the Kansas City Chiefs with a final score of 40 to 22. According to the network, those figures measure viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo and NFL digital properties.<\/p>\n \n\tThat number is a 2% increase on the 123.7 million viewers who watched last year\u2019s event<\/a>, which outshone any audience previously recorded by Nielsen. Fox also noted that their peak audience of 135.7 million viewers occurred around the game\u2019s second quarter, between 8:00-8:15pm ET.<\/p>\n \n\tThough the evening\u2019s big takeaway was undoubtedly related to the game itself, a sizable portion of the Super Bowl\u2019s viewership likely came thanks to the halftime show, which featured Kendrick Lamar in the spotlight.<\/p>\n \n\tMuch of the discourse relating to Lamar\u2019s appearance revolved around the potential content of his performance \u2013 specifically whether he would perform his Drake diss track \u201cNot Like Us\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tHaving inspired a defamation lawsuit<\/a> from its subject matter against Lamar (and Drake\u2019s) record label, Universal Music Group in January, and having taken home five Grammys<\/a> (including Record of the Year and Song of the Year) just a week earlier, Lamar ensured that the song received pride of place in his already-iconic set<\/a>. Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, and Serena Williams also joined Lamar onstage for the performance at New Orleans\u2019 Caesars Superdome.<\/p>\n \n\tCurrently, specific break-out numbers for the halftime show have not been made available, though it would likely be in contention for the title of the most-watched halftime show in history. According to The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a>, that honor belongs to the 1993 Super Bowl, which saw Michael Jackson change the face of halftime entertainment, bringing in 133 million viewers for his appearance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n