The Big Players At The Big Game: Super Bowl 50

At a glance Discover the biggest moments of Super Bowl 50, from the star quarterbacks to the halftime show, with a deep dive into social conversations and trending hashtags.

This year's Super Bowl averaged 111.9 million viewers, making it the third most watched U.S. program ever. With a two star quarterbacks pitted against each other, and Cam's trending dabbing already a meme, viewership was at a high, and social conversation showed it. The week leading up to and night of the big game garnerd over seven million mentions with 522,000 photos shared. At the peek of the conversation, over 156,501 tweets took place at 9pm EST, coinciding with the Pepsi Halftime show. As with major events, major celebs got in on the conversation:

WATCH: @POTUS and @FLOTUS play @GayleKing's game "I love it when..." during LIVE interview ahead of #SB50 on @CBS!https://t.co/P30oPoF7Wt
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) February 7, 2016

I wish they had shown the other side of the Super Bowl stadium last night. Beautiful. #SB50 pic.twitter.com/6D9dAHVupd
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) February 8, 2016

Interestingly, the most popular image around the night centered on Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum's ad together:

This guy @jeffgoldblum is one the most kind hearted, fun loving and interesting people I've met. Had a great time hanging with him this week. #SB50 #IDR

A photo posted by Liam Hemsworth (@liamhemsworth) on Feb 8, 2016 at 9:34am PST

Overall, the top hashtags were #SB50 at 38%, with #SuperBowl at 14% and #KeepPounding at 11%. On the brand front, Esurance was the clear winner at 66% of the conversation, largely centered on their giveaway. Behind them were Pepsi at 11% and LG at 8%. Mountain Dew gave us puppymonkeybaby; Doritos took on childbirth in a, well, unique way; and Colgate reminded us of the value of water. While the Broncos may have won the title, the halftime show was the game stealer. Beyonce dropped a new song and announced a world tour, while collaborating flawlessly with Coldplay and Bruno Mars. In the end, Super Bowl 50 held something for everyone.

Nicky Yates Published on February 9, 2016 9:26 pm

Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQs

How many people watched Super Bowl 50?

Super Bowl 50 averaged 111.9 million viewers, making it the third most watched U.S. program ever. The high viewership was driven by two star quarterbacks facing off and Cam Newton's trending dabbing meme.

What were the most popular Super Bowl 50 hashtags on social media?

#SB50 was the most popular hashtag at 38% of mentions, followed by #SuperBowl at 14% and #KeepPounding at 11%. The game generated over seven million social media mentions with 522,000 photos shared.

Which brands had the most social media buzz during Super Bowl 50?

Esurance dominated brand conversations with 66% share, largely due to their giveaway campaign. Pepsi came in second at 11%, followed by LG at 8%.

What happened during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show?

Beyoncé performed with Coldplay and Bruno Mars, dropping a new song and announcing her world tour during the show. The halftime show generated peak social activity with over 156,501 tweets at 9pm EST and was considered the highlight of the event.