Perry's performance garnered 118.5 million viewers in the United States, becoming the most watched and highest rated show in Super Bowl history. This number was higher than the average viewership of the game itself, which attracted a television record number of 114.4 million. Perry's halftime show currently ranks as the most watched overall non-sports entertainment telecast on U.S. television.
During Perry's performance of "Teenage Dream" and "California Gurls", she was accompanied by several dancers in various beach-themed costumes, including two dressed as sharks. In their performance, one of the performers, left of Perry on screen, appeared to miss a cue and danced to his own beat instead of the planned choreography. The shark's outfits, as well as the performance of this "Left Shark", quickly became an Internet meme. The organizing choreographer RJ Durell stated that the dancers, both long-time stage performers from Perry's past concerts, were not given rigorous choreography but instead told to mimic Perry's moves and "to have loads of fun, and bring to life these characters in a cartoon manner", and concluded that the Left Shark "nailed it".
Billboard reported that industry sources expected Perry to collectively sell around 100,000 downloads as a result of the performance. For the week ending February 1, 2015, Perry's discography registered a 92% sales gain in the United States, selling 121,000 albums and song downloads in total.
Perry's performance received acclaim:
James Montgomery of Rolling Stone called Perry's performance "bright and booming". He also stated that Perry showcased "triumphant" vocals and stated that Perry "left it all on the field" after taking a "well deserved victory lap" during the performance of "Firework".
Jason Lipshutz of Billboard stated that the "fiery" performance "did not disappoint" and was a "career highlight" for Perry.
Chris Chase of USA Today stated that the performance "felt more like an Olympic Opening Ceremony", which he called a "major achievement". Chase stated that Perry's performance "is what a Super Bowl halftime show should be", while noting that Perry appeared to be singing live and stating that most Twitter users were impressed with the performance. However, Chase felt that Elliott's appearance was "deflated" and "instantly forgettable," while Kravitz's appearance was unnecessary, stating that similar to Prince, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson, Perry was a "real star" who did not need a special guest.
Daniel D'Addario of Time stated that Perry had "justified the NFL's trust in her with a dynamic, wild show" and stated that she did not "miss a step or a note".
Amanda Michelle Steiner of People wrote: "Katy Perry fan or not, even the most cynical hater would have to admit that her Super Bowl performance on Sunday was a pop culture masterpiece.
Josh Duboff of Vanity Fair stated that Perry "killed it".
Alex Needham of The Guardian gave the "high-octane" performance 4 out of 5 stars.
Oh. I thought this was going to be a post about the Pats and their unreal, flaw free victory where I lost my ****ing mind. Then I remembered, its ATRL.