On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime to secure their second consecutive Super Bowl title. The nailbiting game, which saw both teams exchange field goals back and forth, ended with a long touchdown catch by wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. It was the second NFL championship for the Chiefs and first for their head coach Andy Reid. It also earned Mahomes his second league title and moved him into a tie with Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw for the most career Super Bowl wins by a quarterback.
While the game itself was undoubtedly a highlight, several celebrity sightings stole the show at the NFL’s biggest event. Taylor Swift brought her pals along to cheer on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, including Blake Lively and Lana Del Rey. The pair shared a romcom-worthy kiss after the Chiefs won in overtime. The night was also filled with ad spots – from Squarespace to Chinese e-commerce platform Temu – sure to spark conversation.
After a scoreless first quarter, the second half began with a bang as Jake Moody kicked a 55-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 3-0. It was the longest field goal in Super Bowl history and broke a previous record set just two quarters earlier by Buffalo’s Steve Christie.
But the lead wouldn’t last long as Harrison Butker nailed a 57-yard field goal to tie the game. The kick came just a few seconds after San Francisco cornerback Trent McDuffie blew up a pass attempt from Chiefs rookie Brock Purdy to Jauan Jennings and forced the two-minute warning.
Despite the close match, there were a few unfortunate injury scares throughout the game. The 49ers’ Dre Greenlaw limped off the field with an apparent left hamstring injury, while the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt suffered a knee injury on his first carry. The latter injury caused the team to go to backup running back Jeremy Hill for the remainder of the game.
Several commercials aired during the Super Bowl to help break up the game’s monotony. One of the most talked about was Squarespace’s ad directed by Martin Scorsese, while a 30-second spot by Chinese e-commerce platform Temu caught the attention of many viewers.
However, the evening’s entertainment wasn’t over as Usher took the stage at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, for a thrilling halftime show. The R&B singer delivered a performance featuring his past and present hits while a troupe of dancers joined him. He also brought out a handful of special guests for some mid-song raps.
Around 123.4 million people tuned in on TV and streaming platforms to watch the Chiefs battle against the 49ers at the Super Bowl, making it the most-watched Super Bowl ever. Final Nielsen ratings will be released on Tuesday, but preliminary results indicate that the game surpassed the 115 million viewers who watched last year’s wildly popular Eagles vs. Rams matchup.
