There is no gig quite like the Super Bowl halftime show. 15 minutes to perform your catalog with more than 150 million viewers, with the likes of Rihanna, The Weeknd and Lady Gaga all making their mark on that legendary stage.
This year, RnB superstar Usher took to the stage in Vegas and we were curious to discover the most popular Super Bowl halftime shows of the 2000s by analyzing the viewership on each performance uploaded on YouTube.
The top 10 most popular halftime performances
| Super Bowl | Date | Location | Performer(s) | YouTube Views | |
| 1st | LIV | 2020 | Hard Rock Stadium | Shakira, Jennifer Lopez | 302,000,000 |
| 2nd | LVI | 2022 | SoFi Stadium | Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar | 252,000,000 |
| 3rd | LVII | 2023 | State Farm Stadium | Rihanna | 208,000,000 |
| 4th | 50 | 2016 | Levi’s Stadium | Coldplay | 131,000,000 |
| 5th | LI | 2017 | NRG Stadium | Lady Gaga | 98,000,000 |
| 6th | XLIX | 2015 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Katy Perry | 93,000,000 |
| 7th | LV | 2021 | Raymond James Stadium | The Weeknd | 63,000,000 |
| 8th | XLVII | 2013 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Beyoncé | 43,000,000 |
| 9th | XLVI | 2012 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Madonna | 42,000,000 |
| 10th | LII | 2018 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Justin Timberlake | 33,700,000 |
Working with BonusFinder.co.uk, we can reveal the most popular halftime performance is from Shakira and Jennifer Lopez at the 2020 Super Bowl LIV show in Miami, Florida (Hard Rock Stadium).
The phenomenal show featured special guests such as Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Emme Muñiz. This performance is the most viewed on YouTube out of all the halftime shows analyzed in the 2000s, with an impressive 302 million views.
The Super Bowl LVI 2022 halftime show ranks in second place, which saw Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar take to the SoFi Stadium stage. The iconic performance has since racked up 252 million views on YouTube.
Most impressively, Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII solo halftime show ranks third. With no surprise guests (just the announcement of her pregnancy) and not even a year since its debut, the performance has already gained 208 million views – the highest of any solo show.
The 5 least watched halftime performances
| Super Bowl | Date | Location | Performer(s) | YouTube Views | |
| 1st | XXXIX | 2005 | Alltel Stadium | Paul McCartney | 250,000 |
| 2nd | XL | 2006 | Ford Field | The Rolling Stones | 390,000 |
| 3rd | XLIII | 2009 | Raymond James Stadium | Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | 594,000 |
| 4th | XXXIV | 2000 | Georgia Dome | Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton | 671,000 |
| 5th | XXXVI | 2002 | Louisiana Superdome | U2 | 1,000,000 |
The halftime performance with the least amount of views in the 2000s is Paul McCartney’s 2005 show at the Super Bowl XXXIX. The Beatles legend has only racked up 250,000 views on YouTube, despite belting iconic tunes such as ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Live and Let Die’.
