No Chiefs, No Taylor Swift: Is Super Bowl LX About To Expose the NFL’s Ratings Myth?

Super Bowl LX hits NBC on Feb. 8 with no Kansas City Chiefs and no Taylor Swift in sight. The NFL is chasing a fourth straight ratings record after last year’s Eagles-Chiefs matchup averaged 127.7 million viewers, fueled by Travis Kelce and Swift’s weekly storyline.This time the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks return to the big stage at Levi’s Stadium, with Bad Bunny at halftime and Peacock and Telemundo carrying the stream. It is still TV’s biggest night, but also a clean test of how much the league ever needed its most famous couple.

Why Super Bowl LX May Fall Short of Another Ratings Record

Analysts cited by the Los Angeles Times say “record-setting seems unlikely,” noting that the Chiefs and Swift brought in casual fans who may not rush back for Patriots-Seahawks, Part II.

Nielsen now counts out-of-home viewing and millions of connected TVs, and the audience is younger and more female. The structural boost is real, even if the sugar rush has cooled.

Without the Chiefs’ built-in drama or Swift dropping viral moments from a suite, Sunday’s number will finally separate what came from new measurement and what came from celebrity.

NBC Is Chasing a Different Kind of Win With Ads, Streaming, and Bad Bunny

Even if the audience lands below 127.7 million, NBC is already winning where it matters.

The network sold out Super Bowl LX ad inventory months ago at roughly $8 million per 30-second slot, with some hitting $10 million, plus separate Peacock-only buys bundled with this month’s Winter Olympics. If that package delivers record Super Bowl ad revenue while driving more people into Peacock and Telemundo, nobody will panic over a softer rating headline.The NFL has stood by Bad Bunny despite conservative backlash and a Turning Point USA “counter-show” with Kid Rock and country acts streaming elsewhere.

Executives still remember the only counter-programming that really worked, Fox’s live “In Living Color” episode in 1992 that pushed them toward booking global stars.If NBC comes anywhere near last year’s viewership while cashing a bigger ad check, the night will still feel like a win in the rooms that matter. Super Bowl LX may not break the record, but it will show whether the NFL’s ratings machine runs on one superstar couple or on something bigger.