Entertainment

X Users Confused by Roc Nation’s Halftime Show Viewership Post

Roc Nation celebrates Apple Music Halftime’s record 133.5M viewers, but fans question last year's 202.4M total reach.
By 
February 12, 2025
1 mins read
Super Bowl Halftime Show

Roc Nation is celebrating another record-breaking Super Bowl halftime show, but X users are scratching their heads over the numbers.

Jay-Z‘s entertainment company took to social media to announce that 133.5 million viewers tuned in for this year’s Apple Music Halftime Show, calling it the “most-watched halftime show ever.” The post also noted a +3% increase from last year’s performance by Usher, which had 129.3 million viewers.

However, confusion arose when users compared this year’s post to Roc Nation’s statement from last year, which claimed 202.4 million viewers—a larger number. Many questioned how Usher’s halftime show could have had 202.4 million viewers last year while this year’s performance is considered the “most-watched” at 133.5 million.

“Wait, last year it was 202 million, now it’s 133 million and that’s the most-watched halftime show ever?? Make it make sense,” one user pointed out.

“Are y’all counting the game’s viewership last year and comparing it to JUST the halftime show this year? Lmao,” another user shared.

The discrepancy seems to stem from which statistics are being used:

  • The 202.4 million number from last year refers to Nielsen’s “total reach,” meaning the number of people who watched at least some part of the entire game across all networks and platforms.
  • This year’s 133.5 million specifically refers to the halftime show viewership alone.

Nielsen is a global measurement and data analytics company that tracks television, streaming and digital viewership. It provides the industry standard for measuring audiences, including how many people are watching live broadcasts like the Super Bowl and halftime show.

While Roc Nation is correct in stating that this year’s halftime show had the biggest audience ever, the way the numbers were presented across different years left fans puzzled.

For clarity: 133.5 million viewers is the highest recorded halftime show audience, but 202.4 million was last year’s total Super Bowl audience reach.

Either way, it’s safe to say the Apple Music Halftime Show continues to be a massive event, with each year bringing in staggering numbers.