The Powers That Be: Daily A Super Bowl Ratings Autopsy
Feb 12, 2026
Julia Alexander, technology and media reporter who covers streaming and sports business, breaks down the final Super Bowl ratings and Bad Bunny’s halftime metrics. She explores the rise of low-cost halftime counter-programming on YouTube and how platforms or creators could cash in. She also discusses the NFL’s international push and why Australia looks like the next major growth market.
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Super Bowl Viewership Snapshot
- The Super Bowl averaged 124.9 million viewers across platforms, slightly below last year's 127.7 million.
- The game's second quarter peaked at 137.8 million, then dropped as interest waned in the second half.
Halftime's Social Reach Overshadows TV
- Bad Bunny's halftime drew 128.2 million average and exploded on social with 4 billion views in 24 hours.
- The halftime show's social reach rose 137% year-over-year, per the NFL's figures.
Turning Point USA's Six Million Moment
- Turning Point USA's YouTube halftime stream reached about six million concurrent viewers.
- Peter and Julia compared that to past counterprogramming and noted it's sizable for a cheap online stream.