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The Super Bowl is a massive event, but which ones have produced the lowest Super Bowl attendance? Although the game is watched by tens of millions across the globe, some Super Bowls have been played in smaller stadiums and therefore produced lower attendance numbers.
Lowest Super Bowl attendance
In its history, the Super Bowl has almost always sold out. The majority of the Super Bowls on this list are only here because they were played in smaller capacity stadiums than the others.
Here are the top 10 smallest Super Bowl crowds in the event’s history.
10. Super Bowl LIII (70,081)
The Super Bowl to kick off this list is Super Bowl LIII, which took place in 2019. It was a battle between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots.
The game was played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. The stadium has a max capacity of 71,000 people, and on Super Bowl Sunday registered 70,081 fans. The Patriots would go on to beat the Rams 13-3.
The Super Bowl wasn’t the biggest event held in the stadium, as the 2018 MLS Cup featuring Atlanta United had 73,019 spectators in attendance.
9. Super Bowl XXXII (68,912)
Super Bowl XXXII was played at Qualcomm Stadium, also known as San Diego Stadium. It was the second of three Super Bowls hosted in the stadium, as the event took place on January 25, 1998.
The Denver Broncos defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in the game and captured their first Lombardi trophy.
The official attendance for the game was 68,912 spectators. The seating capacity of the stadium at the time was 71,350. In addition to hosting two other Super Bowls, San Diego Stadium also hosted two MLB All-Star games.
8. Super Bowl XLVI (68,658)
Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 was the second time Eli Manning and the Giants got the best of the Patriots in the big game. The game was played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in front of 68,658 fans.
The stadium was built in 2008, and has a max capacity of about 67,000, but can expand to hold as many as 70,000 people.
Lucas Oil Stadium has hosted many sporting events in its brief history. Those events include the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship, and the NFL combine, which has been held yearly at the stadium since 2008.
7. Super Bowl XL (68,206)
Super Bowl XL was held at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on February 5, 2006. It was a matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks. The Steelers won their fifth Super Bowl, defeating the Seahawks 21-10.
The total attendance was 68,206 spectators. The max capacity for Ford Field is 65,000 but can expand to 70,000 for football games.
Besides the Super Bowl, Ford Field has also hosted the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four.
6. Super Bowl LII (67,612)
67,612 were in attendance to watch the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII in 2018. It was a big upset as Nick Foles led the Eagles to a 41-33 win over the Patriots.
The game was played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The maximum capacity is 66,860 but can be expanded to fit around 73,000 spectators.
Even though U.S. Bank Stadium was one of the Super Bowl host cities, the event was not the largest in stadium history. That title belongs to the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, which had 72,711 spectators in attendance.
5. Super Bowl XXXVII (67,603)
Super Bowl XXXVII took place at Qualcomm Stadium, which was the third and final Super Bowl held in the stadium. It was the lowest Super Bowl attendance of the three, having an attendance of 67,603 spectators.
The 2003 game featured the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay won the game 48-21 to capture the team’s first Super Bowl.
4. Super Bowl XXVI (63,130)
Super Bowl XXVI in 1992 was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.
The stadium had a maximum capacity of 63,669 and had 63,130 in attendance when Buffalo and Washington met in the Super Bowl. Washington would go on to defeat the Bills 37-24.
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome was the home for the Vikings from 1982 to 2013. In 2013, the stadium was closed and later demolished.
3. Super Bowl LIV (62,417)
In 2020, 62,417 were in attendance to watch the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers. The game was held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Hard Rock Stadium was one of the Super Bowl host cities six different times, hosting the event in 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010, and 2020. Super Bowl LIV had the lowest Super Bowl attendance of the six, as the stadium capacity dropped from 75,540 to 64,767 in 2015.
The stadium is home to the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Hurricanes (NCAA), and the Miami Open (Tennis).
2. Super Bowl I (61,946)
The only Super Bowl to not sell out was in fact Super Bowl I in 1967. The game took place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, as the Packers defeated the Chiefs 35-10.
The stadium had a maximum capacity of 94,500 at the time. However, the event had an official attendance of only 61,946, which makes it the second-lowest Super Bowl attendance in history.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum used to be the home of the Rams (1946-1979, 2016-2019), Dodgers (1958-1961), and Raiders (1982-1994).
1. Super Bowl LV (24,835)
The record Super Bowl attendance for the smallest crowd belongs to Super Bowl LV in 2021. Capacity restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic led to the lowest Super Bowl attendance in history, as only 24,835 were allowed in the stadium.
The game was hosted at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. It was the first time a team played at home in the Super Bowl, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.
Raymond James Stadium hosted two Super Bowls prior to the one in 2021, which included Super Bowl XXXV and XLIII.
