Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar? Who Really Was the Reason Behind the 2025 Super Bowl 126 Million Record?

Published 02/10/2025, 8:29 PM PST

Super Bowl LIX was not just a game, but a seismic event, a powder keg of anticipation ready to detonate. With the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles clashing in a high-stakes showdown at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, an electrified audience of 126 million locked in for the spectacle. But let us be real—was it the gridiron glory that had the world on edge or the presence of two cultural titans, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar?

So as the dust settles, the real question is not about who won the game but whose gravitational pull made the Super Bowl an unmissable moment.

Taylor Swift vs. Kendrick Lamar: Who had Super Bowl LIX in their court?

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According to Fox Sports, Super Bowl LIX projected a record-shattering average audience of 126 million US viewers across television and streaming platforms. Sure, the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Philadelphia Eagles high-stakes match and their star-studded teams were the primary reasons behind the flux, but who added fuel to the frenzy? Taylor Swift commanded the night with sheer pop supremacy, turning up at the nail-biter match to cheer for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar’s subtle shades at Drake worked wonders in drawing fanaticism. 

Meanwhile, fans were also hooked on the match because Chiefs supporters expected the Reds to clinch a hat-trick, making up for thrice the undivided attention. And deep down, they may have been eager to witness a déjà vu of Super Bowl 2024, where the night ended in starry kisses and the Chiefs’ thunderous celebration. Some divine requests were clearly granted when the Kendrick Lamar-Drake saga finally got its moment.

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On the NFL front though, every contender proved their worth, sports-centric or not, turning Sunday’s game into a full-blown, popcorn-munching spectacle and setting a Super Bowl record. However, while Kendrick Lamar shot the fireworks, Taylor Swift got attacked with some of her own.

Taylor Swift’s boo hours to Kendrick Lamar’s happy hours at Super Bowl LIX

Taylor Swift may be a trailblazer in the music industry, but the Eagles' fans could not care less. As the pop star traveled the extra mile in hopes Travis Kelce would end the night in a super touchdown, a crash landing of boos fumbled Swift at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The moment she appeared on the Jumbotron, cheers left the stadium as chaos erupted, leaving Swift to guard up with a smirk. 

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On the other hand, Kendrick Lamar delivered the much-talked-about halftime show. The stadium went bonkers and the crowd lost their minds when K-Dot made his grand entrance in chic bell bottoms, a varsity jacket, and a pendant reading “a”, leaving fans to belt out the rest of the lyrics for him. But there is nothing called bad publicity in the world of entertainment. Even with the negativity around Swift and Lamar’s unforgettable aftershocks, the Super Bowl scored a double victory in the game of headlines.

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Who do you think had more pull in Super Bowl LIX? Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar? Let us know in the comments below!

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Anushka Bhattacharya

1942 articles

I'm Anushka Bhattacharya, an entertainment journalist at Netflix Junkie. Armed with a degree in literature, I once wielded my words to catalyze change within society through my work with NGOs. However, as I stumbled into the exuberant hole of crime thrillers and documentaries on Netflix, it was love at first sight and pushed me into entertainment journalism.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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