A sea of red and white buzzed with excitement as football fans from all around the country watched the kickoff, which marked the beginning of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sunday, Feb. 11. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22, and this was also the most watched Super Bowl in history, with about 123.4 million viewers watching live on TV.
This year was the second time the Chiefs and 49ers have faced off in the NFL championship, as the Chiefs beat the 49ers in the 2020 Super Bowl. Kansas City also beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 Super Bowl. This year’s Super Bowl went into overtime after the Chiefs, who were behind the 49ers, rallied to achieve a tie at the end of regulation time.
Until 2022, if the teams tied at the end of regulation, then after a coin toss, the first team to possess the ball and score a touchdown won the game, even if the other team had not had a chance. However, in 2022, the NFL changed the rule so that in post-season games, such as the Super Bowl, both teams have a chance to possess the ball, even if the first team has already scored a touchdown. As the 49ers possessed the ball first in overtime, this new rule allowed the Kansas City Chiefs to ultimately secure their second consecutive championship.
Senior Danika Jhawar attended the game in person with her family in Las Vegas. She said although she is a 49ers fan and had to sit around a majority of Chiefs fans, she still appreciated the crowd’s enthusiasm and energy throughout the game.
“The energy was very high, and everyone was super excited and very passionate about cheering for their team,” Jhawar said. “There [were] a lot of Chiefs fans where I was sitting, so they were very passionate, and there [were] a lot of Swifties exchanging bracelets and yeah, everybody was very excited.”
According to Variety, while many viewers tuned into the Super Bowl to watch the game, many viewers also watch for the celebrities starring in commercials or the half-time show. Singer Usher performed at the half-time show with Alicia Keys, H.E.R, Will.i.am, Ludacris and Lil Jon.
However, many news sources, including Variety and NPR, also attribute this year’s high viewership to Taylor Swift‘s attendance at the game. Skylar Roberts (’26) said she has saw the Super Bowl gain popularity within the Archer community due to Taylor Swift’s appearance at games this season. Similarly, eighth grader Maggie Collins said she watched the Super Bowl and rooted for the Chiefs because of Taylor Swift and her relationship with their tight end, Travis Kelce.
“I was a little like down when they the 49ers were up, but then the Chiefs came back and it was stressful because it was so close it was neck and neck,” Collins said.
Roberts said she was sad after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, as she is a 49ers fan. However, she added that she enjoyed making snacks with her family for the game, such as pigs in a blanket and homemade pizza.
“I’m a little bitter about it. I really wanted the 49ers to win because I’ve been rooting for them for the whole season and the other two teams that I was rooting for were out,” Roberts said.
As a 49ers fan, Jhawar said she was disappointed that San Francisco did not take home the Super Bowl award, the Lombardi Trophy. However, she said she expected the Chiefs to win as their quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is one of the best in the country.
“There [were] a lot of up and down plays. At the beginning, it was pretty slow, but eventually it picked up, and it went on to overtime, which was very exciting too,” Jhawar said. “I was sad, but Mahomes is a good quarterback, so they deserve this.”
