The Muppets Won the Super Bowl With the Most-Viewed Ad of the Year
With Disney’s recent decision to shutter Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the discourse surrounding the popularity of the Muppets has intensified.
While Jim Henson’s motley crew of misfits certainly has a dedicated fanbase, lasting popular appeal has alluded to the troupe in recent years.
Photo: Sony
Since Disney acquired the Muppets in 2004, the company has seemingly been unsure how to best present the franchise. Initial releases such as The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz and A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa may have appealed to die-hard fans, but the films did little to expand the Muppets’s audience.
The State of the Muppets Franchise
The iconic troupe had their first real hit in decades when Jason Segal breathed new life into the franchise with The Muppets. Eventually becoming the highest-grossing puppet film of all time, The Muppets renewed the star power of Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the gang, who were quickly given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Photo: The Henson Company
Over the last decade and a half, however, the Muppets’s output has been uneven at best. A follow-up film, Muppets Most Wanted, was a commercial success, though not the pop culture touchstone that the 2011 film was.
Disney followed Muppets Most Wanted up with an eponymous ABC series that presented the Muppets in a mockumentary style similar to The Office. The show was quickly canceled after one season.
In 2019, a Disney+ series titled Muppets Now was similarly canceled after one season, as was The Muppets Mayhem.
Photo: D23
So, is Disney using the Muppets wrong? Or does the franchise not resonate with fans anymore?
The Muppets Win the Super Bowl
Based on yesterday’s Super Bowl broadcast, it would appear that the Muppets have not lost their star power yet.
Statler & Waldorf
The Booking.com commercial, which stars the Muppets, is currently the most-watched Super Bowl ad of 2025.
By taking home the top spot, the Muppets beat out numerous A-listers, including Glen Powell, Bill Murray, and Harrison Ford.
Photo: Booking.com
As of this writing, the Booking.com Muppets ad has 93 million views on YouTube.
While it remains to be seen whether or not the Muppets can carry another blockbuster feature film or even a hit streaming series, the irreverent gang still has plenty of fans. That was proven once again last night.
