Super Bowl LIX
Super Bowl LIX was an American football championship game played between the American Football Conference champion and two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football Conference champion Philadelphia Eagles, to determine the champion of the National Football League for the 2024 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, which was played two years prior, the Eagles defeated the Chiefs 40–22. The game was played on February 9, 2025, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. It was the eleventh Super Bowl played in New Orleans, and the eighth in the Superdome. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was named Super Bowl MVP after scoring three total touchdowns and setting the Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 72.
The Chiefs finished the regular season with a 15–2 record. Kansas City's seventh Super Bowl appearance, the franchise entered the game in a bid to achieve the first Super Bowl three-peat, having won Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 and Super Bowl LVII in 2023. The Eagles posted a 14–3 record with the aid of an improved offense and the league's top-ranked defense, making their fifth Super Bowl appearance.
Although Super Bowl LIX was expected to be a close contest, the Eagles dominated throughout the game. The Chiefs did not score until the waning moments of the third quarter, gaining only 23 yards in the first half, the second-lowest first-half yardage in Super Bowl history. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes struggled throughout, being sacked a career-high six times, all while the Eagles' defense did not employ any blitzes. He committed three turnovers, including a 38-yard pick-six by Cooper DeJean, who became the second rookie in Super Bowl history to achieve such a feat. Philadelphia took advantage of their powerful defensive performance and Kansas City's offensive struggles to build an insurmountable 34-point lead by the third quarter. The Eagles held a 40–6 lead in the final five minutes before the Chiefs had two late scores, occurring after many of the Eagles’ starters had exited the game.
This was the Eagles' second Super Bowl victory, following their first in Super Bowl LII seven years earlier, and their fifth NFL championship. The Chiefs were handed their third Super Bowl loss in franchise history, following losses in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl LV.
The game was televised in the United States by Fox and streamed on Tubi. Super Bowl LIX became the most watched broadcast in American television history, with an average of 127.7 million viewers in the United States, breaking a record set by the previous year's Super Bowl. An average of 14.5 million viewers came from streaming platforms. The halftime show, headlined by Kendrick Lamar, became the most watched of its kind with a television audience of more than 133.5 million viewers, breaking a record set by that of Super Bowl XXVII featuring Michael Jackson. It was also the first Super Bowl to be attended in-person by a sitting U.S. president.
Background
Host selection
On May 23, 2018, the league originally selected New Orleans as the site for Super Bowl LVIII, then tentatively scheduled for February 4, 2024. In March 2020, the league and the NFLPA agreed to expand the regular season from 16 to 17 games starting in 2021, pushing Super Bowl LVIII to February 11, 2024, and causing a conflict with New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebrations. On October 14, 2020, the league decided to move Super Bowl LVIII to another city and awarded Super Bowl LIX to New Orleans instead, as Mardi Gras in 2025 is not until March 4, thus avoiding any conflicts.Logo
The official logo for Super Bowl LIX was unveiled on February 12, 2024, and follows the logo template established since Super Bowl LVI, with the Roman numerals featuring imagery representing the host city/region. The Roman numerals contain artwork by local artist "Queen" Tahj Williams—a figure in the community of Mardi Gras Indians. It marks the first time the NFL has collaborated with a local artist on the design of a Super Bowl emblem.The design was created with beads, and features Mardi Gras–inspired red-, green-, and gold-colored fleur-de-lis patterns, a symbol long connected with New Orleans and used as the logo for the New Orleans Saints, evoking designs of ironwork balconies typical in the city's architecture, especially in the French Quarter.
Security
Super Bowl organizers said they would review security procedures in the wake of the truck attack incident on Bourbon Street on January 1, 2025, in which 15 people were killed and dozens were injured, delaying the 2025 Sugar Bowl at the Superdome to the following day. Tourism official Walt Leger III said on New Year's Day that the priority would be on the immediate response to the attack but "here will be more deep conversations in the coming days and weeks to discuss possible enhancements for the Super Bowl." Meanwhile, the NFL released a statement assuring that the game would be a "safe and enjoyable" experience.Leger emphasized that while recovery remained the immediate focus, discussions had been underway regarding increased security measures for the Super Bowl. In response to the attack, the city of New Orleans significantly ramped up security, including a larger law enforcement presence and stricter movement restrictions in the city. Vehicle traffic was prohibited on Bourbon Street, and "safe corridors" were established for key individuals. Over 2,000 officers, including federal agents, special forces, and bomb-sniffing dogs, were deployed to safeguard the area.
The city's security plan for the Super Bowl was expected to be the most advanced in years, shaped by lessons from the January attack. Measures included federal air marshals, rooftop snipers, and anti-drone technology. Additionally, security teams conducted thorough sweeps of the Superdome to ensure the venue remained free of potential threats. Meanwhile, the NFL released a statement assuring that the game would be a "safe and enjoyable" experience.
Slogan
On February 3, 2025, league officials announced that the "End Racism" slogan, which debuted at the end zone of Super Bowl LV, would be reworded to "Choose Love" during the game. Although at least one high-ranking NFL official had expressed concern in light of U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks on racism, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said that he made the choice in light of such recent events as the New Orleans truck attack, the January 2025 Southern California wildfires, and the Potomac River mid-air collision. The slogan "It Takes All of Us" remained in the end zone. Goodell had earlier reaffirmed his league's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts despite efforts at such having been scaled back by a number of other American corporations since 2024.Super Bowl week events
Super Bowl Opening Night was held at the Superdome on February 3, while the Super Bowl Experience was hosted by the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. A two-day cultural festival was hosted in the French Market.The Super Bowl LIX Host Committee hosted a special Mardi Gras–styled parade through the French Quarter on the Saturday before the game. The parade featured appearances by the LSU, Tulane, and Marine Corps marching bands, themed floats representing the participating teams, and contributions from various krewes and organizations associated with Mardi Gras in New Orleans—including the Baby Doll Ladies, Mardi Gras Indians, Endymion, Orpheus, and Bacchus. Unlike the official Mardi Gras parades, this parade would be underwritten by various sponsors ; city ordinances prohibit parades held during the official Mardi Gras period from having corporate sponsorships.
Boycott
Calls were made for a boycott of the game, making claims of officiating misconduct in the Chiefs' favor during the 2024 season, particularly the AFC Championship Game. Prices for tickets to the game on the secondary market collapsed following the AFC Championship Game, falling roughly 30% compared to resale tickets for Super Bowl LVIII; Brett Goldberg, co-owner of TickPick, suggested New Orleans's relatively low hotel capacity was a factor in the sharp decline, but that Chiefs fatigue was also a factor: "I think if the Bills won, you would've seen a very different dynamic here." In Buffalo, Bills Mafia co-founder Del Reid lent his support to "not-watch parties" to give disgruntled Bills fans an opportunity to socialize out of the house without being subjected to the game.Both commissioner Roger Goodell and Referees Association executive director Scott Green have denied accusations of wrongdoing, with Goodell suggesting that the notion of games being rigged or fixed in the Chiefs' favor is "a ridiculous theory" not to be taken seriously. The boycott, despite not having a visible impact on [|overall national viewership], resulted in a marked decline in viewership in Buffalo, where the 237,000 viewers for the game was the lowest since people meters were introduced and a 25% drop from the 315,000 who watched the previous year's Super Bowl.
Teams
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs entered Super Bowl LIX attempting to become the first NFL team to win three Super Bowls in a row. Under head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs finished the regular season 15–2, tied with the Detroit Lions for best regular-season record in the NFL.The team's quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, had lower stats than in previous seasons, missing the 4,000-yard passing mark and the Pro Bowl for the first time as a starter. However, he had seven game-winning drives, tied for second-most of all time. Tight end Travis Kelce led the team in receiving yards, while running back Kareem Hunt led the team in rushing yards. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy had a productive rookie season with 742 yards and nine touchdowns. The Chiefs acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a mid-season trade with the Tennessee Titans; Hopkins had 437 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in five starts. The offensive line included Pro Bowlers Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith, with Thuney and Humphrey also being selected to the AP All-Pro team.
The Chiefs' defense was headlined by All-Pros defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback Trent McDuffie. Other notable players include George Karlaftis, Nick Bolton, and Justin Reid. They were a top-four defense for the second straight year under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Super Bowl LIX marked the seventh Super Bowl appearance for the Chiefs, who won Super Bowls IV, LIV, LVII, and LVIII, while losing Super Bowls I and LV. They played in the Super Bowl four times in the past five seasons, winning three of them. Kansas City became the first team to win two consecutive Super Bowls and play in a Super Bowl the following season; the previous eight teams to win two consecutive Super Bowls failed to appear in the game for a third consecutive season. They attempted the first "three-peat" of three consecutive Super Bowl wins, the first time the same team would have won the NFL Championship three times in a row since the Green Bay Packers achieved the feat from to, which included their wins of the first two Super Bowls. The last team in the four North American major professional sports leagues to successfully achieve a three-peat was the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association from 2000 to 2002.