Super Bowl by the numbers

Don’s ESL Adventure // Shutterstock When it comes to sporting events and the glitz and glamour that accompany it, it is fair to say that nobody does it better than the NFL. With its showpiece annual event around the corner, it’s time to shine a light on the prestigious Super Bowl. A game that brings the end to each NFL season and, in doing so, awards the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the team that comes out on top with the eyes of not only a sporting nation but also the world, it’s considered one of the richest prizes. Starting all the way back in 1967, an event with rather humble beginnings has grown into nothing less than a juggernaut. The focus is not only the performance of football players, but also the musical acts that serve as the famous and sometimes infamous half-time show. The event has also become one of the biggest sports betting events worldwide, with over $23.1 billion wagered on Super Bowl 58–more than any other Super Bowl.  Who’s who of American Football legends have played and, most importantly, won this game. With it being such a fixture in not just the sporting calendar but the United States’ calendar as a whole, it’s no surprise that this is the hottest ticket and biggest betting event in town. A ticket that has been snapped up by a total of 4,384,546 fans between 1967 and 2024, plus attendance from those who have travelled across the country or even across the world, OLBG decided to crunch the numbers to reveal the top ten most attended Super Bowls of all time. Top 10 Most Attended Super Bowls of All Time OLBG The Super Bowl that hosted the most fans was back in 1980 when the Rose Bowl welcomed 103,985 through its turnstiles. That would be the year when the Pittsburgh Steelers would come out on top against the Los Angeles Rams after winning 31-19.  While the Rose Bowl can claim to have four of the five highest all-time Super Bowl attendances, The only non-Rose Bowl venue in the top five is the Cowboys Stadium’s 2010 Super Bowl between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Green Bay Packers won 31-25 and did so in front of 103,219 paying supporters–a figure that sees the 2011 event rank fourth in the overall list in terms of highest attendances for the Super Bowl and just 666 seats below the all-time high. From all-time high attendances to all-time highest winners, here’s a look at those teams that have tasted Super Bowl success the most: Top 10 Teams With the Most Super Bowl Appearances of All Time OLBG The team currently known as the New England Patriots tops the ranking for all-time wins with six entries in that column. The team has also been on the losing end on five other occasions. The Patriots have been in Super Bowl action on 11 occasions, three more than the next three teams in the list. Although the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys have each appeared eight times, the Steelers edge it with six wins instead of five. The 49ers and the Cowboys have each won the Super Bowl five times, one more than the trio of the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and the New York Giants, who have won four each, and four more than four teams that have never appeared at a Super Bowl. Spare a thought for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars, who are still searching for their time on the biggest stage of them all and although winning in quantity is something to be celebrated, success percentage rates should not be ignored either. Teams With the Biggest Win Percentages in a Super Bowl OLBG Here’s a look at those teams that have reflected perfection when it comes to the Super Bowl. Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens have only made two appearances each, they have been faultless in their four combined performances. The same perfection can also be attached to the duo of the New Orleans and the New York Jets. With those teams making a single respective appearance at the Super Bowl, they have each managed to win their one and only show on the big stage.  As referenced above, four current teams have yet to experience a dose of Super Bowl fever and three have come so close, yet so far. Spare an additional thought for the Chargers, Cardinals, and the Titans as they have fallen short when it really matters. There are always going to be winners and losers when it comes to these sporting occasions, but there is also competition in a bid to host the game itself that has been contested since 1967. Stadiums That Have Hosted The Most Super Bowls OLBG Top of the tree is what is now known as Caesars Superdrome and with them ready and waiting to stage this year’s edition of the Super Bowl, its 2025 hosting will be it pulls further clear with eight individual hosting duties. Two more than what is currently known as the Hard Rock Stadium and three more than legacy venues the Orange Bowl and the Rose Bowl, which have not staged a Super Bowl since 1979 and 1993, respectively. Then again, the Super Bowl is certainly a future-facing event and likes to spread out hosting duties where it can–something that is signified by eight new venues being given such an important task since 2011. An important task is to host such an important show at half-time, and although musical tastes have evolved over the decades, only the best of the best can whip up the thousands in attendance into a frenzy. Most Watched Half-Time Shows Since 2012 OLBG A who’s who of contemporary musical talents has been on show since the start of the decade, but it’s not just these names that have drawn huge audiences in the past. For example, Michael Jackson’s performance during Super Bowl XXVII remains the most-watched halftime show on television  This particular performance drew a staggering audience of over 133.4 million viewers across network television and the current crop of musical superstars have not been far off from reaching that figure themselves.  Looking at the viewing figures of the half-time show since 2012, they return these hefty numbers:  Then again, it is not all about network television these days, and with technological advances happening at such a pace, there are now plenty of other ways to keep your eyes on the Super Bowl. On digital platforms, the Super Bowl LIV halftime show starring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez set a new benchmark, becoming the most-viewed performance on YouTube with over 318 million views on the NFL’s official channel.  While in what must be considered a groundbreaking moment, the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar, became the first halftime performance to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live).  In addition, Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl LI performance earned a record six Emmy nominations, the most for any halftime show, and secured a win for Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special.  These achievements underscore the halftime show’s evolution into a pinnacle of entertainment, blending music, performance, and global appeal. There will also be a huge appeal when it comes to betting on Super Bowl 59. The Top 10 Most Bet on Super Bowls OLBG Last year (2024), The American Gaming Association estimated that $23.1 billion was wagered on the Super Bowl in the United States, which included bets placed through legal sportsbooks, illegal bookies, and informal wagers. Of this, approximately $1.25 to $1.5 billion was wagered through legal U.S.-based sportsbooks, reflecting the growing acceptance and regulation of sports betting in the country. It is believed that the figure will only grow further in a few weeks. Some notable individual wagers made headlines during the event, such as a $540,000 bet on the Chiefs +4.5 line by a Michigan gambler, a $1 million bet on the 49ers money line, and a $100,000 wager on the coin toss landing ‘tails.’  If fans are really convinced about picking a winner, or by a winning margin, they can also utilise spread betting for a chance to win even more, depending on how right they are. Historically, Super Bowl winners have had a strong record against the spread, with teams winning the Super Bowl covering the spread 87% of the time. This trend has been even more pronounced since the 2009 season, with a success rate of 92.9%.  For Super Bowl LVIII, the over/under line was set at 47.5 points. The final combined score was 47, resulting in a push for bettors, with an almost even split historically between the number of overs and unders in Super Bowl games. The rapid increase in wagering, particularly through legalised channels, highlights the growing popularity of sports betting in the U.S. with such a huge audience and also suggests greater consumer confidence when it comes to betting on huge sporting events. As events go, they certainly get no greater than the Super Bowl. It will be interesting to see what records can be broken in 2025.  Methodology OLBG drew on the following sources for data in reporting this story: SportsBoom, Fox Sports, Dimers, Statista, Billboard, and Bleacher Report. This story was produced by OLBG and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.