Super Bowl 2025: Top five moments according to social media
The 2025 Super Bowl game was a familiar site for sports fans as the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles for the second time in three years. The Chiefs became one of four teams to play three or more Super Bowls in a row. Unique to the Chiefs is that they’re the only team who went into their third Super Bowl in a row having won the first two, previously beating the Eagles in 2023 and the San Francisco 49ers in 2024.
Despite the Chiefs being favored to win, the Eagles dominated the game early on and ultimately took home the title of Super Bowl Champions.
But Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just about the game, it’s also about the things that happen on screen between plays. Here are the top moments from the 2025 Super Bowl, according to social media:
Viewers fixated on score box design
One early topic of discussion was the score box featured on screen throughout the game. The simplistic design lacked team logos and showed a city abbreviation with the team color behind them, with the score next to them.
Some ranted against the minimalist redesign, with one noting it was the “worst redesign since Jaguar.”
Commercials that stood out
Just before the game was about to begin, an announcer said there was a breaking development, driving curious eyes back to the screen right after the coin toss. Had an animal snuck its way onto the field? Not exactly.
It was a well conceived ad for the live action remake of the 2002 film “Lilo & Stitch.” The iconic blue alien could be seen causing havoc on the field, crashing a golf cart into a goal post and stealing a broadcaster’s microphone, with cheers from the crowd.
There were some other funny commercials sprinkled throughout the night. Catherine O’Hara and Willem Dafoe hustled prominent athletes in pickleball games over Michelob Ultras. Adam Brody unleashed “the call of the mustaches” as well-known mustaches flew off of faces, including Nick Offerman’s and Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s, to join a Pringles can on its destiny.
Separate from the hijinks, Nike aired its first commercial in 27 years during the Super Bowl. The advertisement highlighted prominent female athletes including Caitlin Clark, Sophia Smith, JuJu Watkins, Alexia Putellas, A’ja Wilson, Sha’Carri Richardson and Jordan Chiles. It was also narrated by Doechii, who won best rap album at the Grammys the week before. The theme of the ad was one that resonated with some viewers: Women inspired to do something after being told they “can’t.”
“You can’t be demanding. You can’t be relentless. You can’t put yourself first.
So… put yourself first.
You can’t be confident. So be confident.
You can’t challenge. So challenge.
You can’t dominate. So dominate.
You can’t flex. So flex.
You can’t fill a stadium. So fill that stadium.
You can’t be emotional. So be emotional.
You can’t take credit. You can’t speak up. You can’t be so ambitious. You can’t break records. You can’t have any fun. You can’t make demands. You can’t be proud. You can’t keep score. You can’t stand out.
Whatever you do, you can’t win… so WIN.”
Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime performance gains love online for being a hater
Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance kicked off with a cameo from Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam in red, white and blue. Jackson narrated throughout the performance. The performance featured other nods to American symbolism, with Lamar’s dancers, decked in either red, white or blue jumpsuits and at one part making the American flag.
Kendrick Lamar does ‘Not Like Us’ — yet with one major change — at Super Bowl
Early in the performance, Lamar told viewers, “The revolution is about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy.” Viewers at home also noted the various messages that appeared to be made from light up bracelets in the crowd, “start here” “warning wrong way” and “game over.”
@nfl ALL THE STARS #KendrickLamar #NFL #AppleMusicHalftime @Apple Music @Roc Nation
It was announced prior to the big game that SZA would be joining Lamar during his performance. The two performed their 2018 duet “All The Stars” which was part of the “Black Panther” soundtrack.
In addition to featuring SZA, there was also a surprise dance cameo from tennis legend Serena Williams during “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s “diss track” against Drake. The cameo was significant as Williams and Drake reportedly dated from 2011-2015.
@nfl From Compton to NOLA. #KendrickLamar #SerenaWilliams #AppleMusicHalftime #superbowl @Apple Music @Roc Nation
Much like the response to Lamar’s Grammy wins, some viewers felt the performance was a win for “haters” everywhere. Many took to social media to comment on the performance, saying that it was “petty petty” and that it took “hating to a new level.”
Additionally “HE DID IT” began trending on social media, as many viewers were thrilled after Lamar performed “Not Like Us” and called out Drake by name.
After the performance “Kendrick” was trending on X, formerly Twitter, with more than 1.43 million posts, more than “#SuperBowl” which had more than 963k posts. Here’s his full set list for his halftime performance:
- “Squabble Up”
- “HUMBLE”
- “DNA”
- “Euphoria”
- “Man at the Garden”
- “Peakaboo”
- “Luther” featuring SZA
- “All the Stars” featuring SZA
- “Not Like Us”
- “TV Off”
Second annual Swiftie Bowl
The last time the Chiefs played against the Eagles in the big game was in 2023, and as far as pop culture is concerned, a lot has changed since then.
Super Bowl LVII took place on Feb. 12, 2023, roughly one month before Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” kicked off in the same venue, the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. And just a few months after that, Swifties everywhere were glued to their TV as Swift attended her first Kansas City Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 24 to watch her new boyfriend Travis Kelce play.
Her appearance at the Chiefs games started a phenomenon of her fan base watching the games and getting more into football. The 2024 Super Bowl holds the record for the “largest average viewership of any live network U.S. television broadcast, with 123.7 million viewers.”
Swift attending Chiefs games became more of a norm in the 2024 season. When Swift was shown on the jumbotron inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the crowd could be heard booing, leading Swift to stare at her friend Ice Spice in a “are you hearing what I’m hearing” side eye moment. Fans took to social media to defend the singer, “the irony of booing someone who sold out the same seat you’re sitting in 3 nights in a row is hilarious.”
Swift didn’t make her first on screen appearance for viewers at home until an hour and a half into the game. But minimal coverage on screen didn’t stop fans from talking about Swift online. “Taylor Swift” was trending throughout the game on X, formerly Twitter, with more than 291k posts.
Donald Trump becomes the first president to attend the Super Bowl while in office
When it was announced that President Trump would be attending the big game in New Orleans, the news got mixed reaction online. Players were asked about it in interviews ahead of the game, with the Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts saying, “He’s welcome to do what he wants.”
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce on the other hand, met some backlash for his response, “It’s a great honor. No matter who the president is, I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life. And having the president there, you know, it’s the best country in the world. So, that’d be pretty cool.”
While some defended his comments, such as the hosts of “The View” referring to it as “classy,” some Swifties were disappointed because Trump criticized Swift in the past.
When Trump was shown on TV with his family at the beginning of the game, both cheers and boos were heard in the stadium. Online, viewers spotted Patrick Mahomes’ brother, Jackson Mahomes, taking a photo with Trump.