NEW YORK -- The Nielsen Co. says the Super Bowl got its highest overnight ratings in 23 years.
It means, when final figures are released later Monday, there's a strong likelihood the game will be the most-watched Super Bowl ever. Last year's game between Pittsburgh and Arizona has that distinction, with 98.7 million viewers.
The quick measurement of the nation's 55 biggest media markets gave the New Orleans-Indianapolis game a 46.4 rating. Last year's game had an overnight measurement of 42.1.
The overnight ratings figure was the largest since the 1987 game between the New York Giants and Denver Broncos.
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trill wrote:I have a feeling that SB XLIV is going to break a lot of viewing records. Top seeds from both conferences; a sure-to-be HOF QB with a rookie coach; a city that's utterly on fire for their team, which is making its first SB appearance; two of the top offenses in the league vs fairly vulnerable defenses. I think it'll make up for relatively boring AFC playoff games and live up to the standard set by relatively exciting NFC games :D
UPDATE: Turns out it was not only the most-watched NFL Championship game ever, but the most-viewed TV show - EVER. Beat the M*A*S*H* finale by about a mil:
"NEW YORK -- The Super Bowl was watched by more than 106 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of "M*A*S*H" to become the most-watched program in television history.
The Nielsen Co. estimated Monday that 106.5 million people watched the New Orleans Saints upset the Indianapolis Colts. That beats the "M*A*S*H" finale, which had 105.97 million viewers in an era when there were fewer television sets."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/ ... id=4897094
