Bruno Mars’ Super Bowl Halftime Show Attracts a Record 115.3 Million Viewers

Move over Madonna! Bruno Mars is the king of Super Bowl entertainers…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s halftime show, featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers, attracted the largest audience in the history of the Super Bowl, attracting 115.3 million viewers, Fox announced Monday, citing Nielsen data.

Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl

That figure surpasses the previous record of 114 million set by Madonna two years ago and the 110.8 million who tuned in to watch Beyonce last year.

During his high-octane perforamance, which was a much-tweeted-about affair,  Mars sang “Give it Away” with the Peppers, proved he’s got the moves like James Brown and closed with his hit ballad “Just the Way You Are” at halfway mark of a blowout win by the Seattle Seahawks over the Denver Broncos, 43-8. The game had an average viewing audience of 111.5 million viewers, the largest in history.

The final number was significantly higher than than 98.88 million viewers reported in the overnight ratings from Nielsen that measure the top 56 markets. It initially appeared Super Bowl XLVIII would be the fifth most-watched in history.

Mars Gives Electrifying Performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Bruno Mars has officially cemented his status as a music superstar after taking one of the world’s biggest stages by storm…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and his band The Hooligans rocked the stage during the halftime show at the 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, February 2, with special guest the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl

Dressed in a gold lame jacket, black skinny tie and white button-down shirt, the pompadoured Grammy-winning singer offered viewers the perfect blend of old school showmanship with rock star flash to give an oh-so-memorable performance at MetLife Stadium.

Following an introduction that featured a children’s choir singing a snippet of Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire,” which Mars co-wrote and appears on as a guest vocalist, the singer born Peter Gene Hernandez made his first appearance behind the drums for an impressive drum solo.

Mars, joined by his Hooligans, then moved to the mic to sing and bust a move to  his smash hits “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Treasure” and “Runaway Baby,” which featured a snippet of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout!”

Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl

Mars then performed a smoldering rendition of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Give It Away” with the legendary rock band by his side. Despite the frigid temperatures, Anthony Kiedis and Flea managed to rock out shirtless.

After a brief montage of soldiers sending a little love home to the States, Mars ended his stellar halftime show with the tender piano ballad “Just the Way You Are,” which was punctuated by fireworks.