SUPER BOWL XLVI IS MOST-WATCHED SHOW IN U.S. TELEVISION HISTORY
February 6, 2012 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
111.3 Million Watch Super Bowl XLVI, Tops Last Year’s Super Bowl (111.0 Million)
47.0 Household Rating is Best in 26 Years, Since 48.3 for Super Bowl XX
40.5 Adult 18-49 Rating is Best for a Super Bowl in 16 Years
14% Higher Than Last Giants-Patriots Super Bowl in 2008
12% Higher Than Last NBC Super Bowl in 2009
7th Straight Year Super Bowl Audience Increases
INDIANAPOLIS – Feb. 6, 2012 – Super Bowl XLVI is the most-watched television program in U.S. history and the highest-rated Super Bowl in 26 years, according to fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company.
The game, in which the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots, 21-17, was seen by a record 111.3 million viewers (6:31-9:58 p.m. ET), topping last year’s 111.0 for Super Bowl XLV on Fox and is the biggest audience to watch a television program in U.S. history.
MOST-WATCHED PROGRAMS IN U.S. TELEVISION HISTORY
1. 111.3 Million – Super Bowl XLVI, NBC (Last Night’s Game)
2. 111.0 Million – Super Bowl XLV, Fox
3. 106.5 Million – Super Bowl XLIV, CBS
4. 106.0 Million – M.A.S.H. Finale, CBS
5. 98.7 Million – Super Bowl XLIII, NBC
HIGHEST-RATED SUPER BOWL IN 26 YEARS: The game earned a 47.0 rating and a 71 share, a gain of two percent from last year’s 46.0/69 for Super Bowl XLV and is the highest-rated Super Bowl since 1986 (Bears-Patriots, Super Bowl XX, 48.3/70). The 47.0 rating is the 6th highest in Super Bowl history.
· The game drew a 40.5 rating in the advertiser-coveted Adult 18-49 demographic, the highest for a Super Bowl in 16 years (41.2 for Super Bowl XXX on Jan. 28, 1996)
HIGEST-RATED SUPER BOWLS:
1. 49.1/73 – Super Bowl XVI, CBS
2. 48.6/69 – Super Bowl XVII, NBC
3. 48.3/70 – Super Bowl XX, NBC
4. 47.2/67 – Super Bowl XII, CBS
5. 47.1/74 – Super Bowl XIII, NBC
6. 47.0/71 – Super Bowl XLVI, NBC (Last Night’s Game)
T7. 46.4/71 – Super Bowl XVIII, CBS
T7. 46.4/63 – Super Bowl XIX, ABC
9. 46.3/67 – Super Bowl XIV, CBS
10. 46.0/69 – Super Bowl XLV, Fox
VIEWERSHIP GROWS THROUGHOUT THE GAME: The viewership and rating grew throughout the game and peaked at a 117.7 million viewers and a 50.7/72, respectively, from 9:30-9:58 p.m. ET in the fourth quarter when Eli Manning led the Giants on a game-winning drive.
HALF HOUR VIEWERSHIP (Times ET):
6:31-7, 99.2 million
7-7:30, 107.9 million
7:30-8, 110.9 million
8-8:30, 114.0 million
8:30-9, 114.3 million
9-9:30, 115.4 million
9:30-9:58, 117.7 million
HALF HOUR RATINGS (Times ET):
6:31-7, 42.5/69
7-7:30, 45.5/71
7:30-8, 46.4/71
8-8:30, 47.4/70
8:30-9, 47.7/70
9-9:30, 48.9/70
9:30-9:58, 50.7/72
HALFTIME SHOW FEATURING MADONNA IS MOST-WATCHED EVER: The halftime performance by Madonna (8-8:30), was seen by 114.0 million viewers, nearly four million more than last year’s performance featuring the Black Eyed Peas (110.3 million), and is the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show featuring entertainment ever (dating back to 1991).
· The halftime viewership 18.3 million more than NBC’s last Super Bowl with Bruce Springsteen (95.7 million).
· The halftime show earned a 47.4 household rating, six percent higher than last year (44.7/68) and is the highest-rated halftime show featuring entertainment ever.
“THE VOICE” DELIVERS HUGE NUMBERS: The season two premiere of “The Voice” that followed the Super Bowl averaged a 16.3 rating in adults 18-49 and 37.6 million viewers overall, making it the highest-rated entertainment program in 18-49 in six years, since ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” post-Super Bowl telecast on February 5, 2006 (16.5). “The Voice” is up versus last year’s post-Super Bowl telecast of “Glee” by 47 percent in 18-49 (16.3 vs. 11.1) and up one percent versus the 2010 post-Super Bowl telecast of “Undercover Boss” (16.3 vs. 16.2).
BOSTON SETS LOCAL MARKET RECORD: The rating in Boston was the best ever for an NFL game in that market (56.7/81) topping the previous high of 56.1/78 for Super Bowl XXXVI (56.1/78 on Fox).
· The New York market registered a 49.7/74, the second-highest overnight for an NFL game in that market, trailing only the 53.4/72 for Super Bowl XXI, the Giants first-ever Super Bowl. By comparison, New York registered a 44.9/67 for Super Bowl XLII, the last time they were in the big game.
· The host market of Indianapolis registered a 56.4/79 overnight rating, the second-best overnight for a host market only trailing Jacksonville (58.9/77) for Super Bowl XXXIX).
TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR SUPER BOWL XLVI:
1. Boston, 56.7/81
2. Indianapolis, 56.4/79
3. Norfolk, 54.2/73
4. Columbus, 54.1/72
5. New Orleans, 54.0/72
T6. Nashville, 53.5/74
T6. Jacksonville, 53.5/70
8. Buffalo, 52.9/72
9. Kansas City, 52.1/73
10. Milwaukee, 52.0/73
*New York ranked 18th with a 49.7/74
BEST SEASON OPENING SUN/MON PRIMETIME OVERNIGHT RATING IN 13 YEARS
September 14, 2010 by J!-ENT · Leave a Comment
NEW YORK – Sept. 13, 2010 – Last night’s “Sunday Night Football” opener featuring the Cowboys vs. Redskins on NBC Sports had the best overnight for any Week 1 (Sunday or Monday*) primetime game in 13 years, was up 24 percent over last year’s SNF opener and is the top rated “Sunday Night Football” game ever according to overnight data released today by The Nielsen Company.
The Redskins 13-7 victory over the Cowboys earned a 16.6 overnight rating and 26 share (8:30-11:45 p.m. ET), the best overnight for any Week 1 (Sunday or Monday) primetime game since Sept. 1, 1997 (Bears-Packers, 16.7/27) and the best “Sunday Night Football” overnight rating since the NFL’s premier primetime package returned to NBC in 2006, surpassing such games as the original “Manning Bowl” in 2006 (14.7/23) and last year’s opening of the new Cowboys Stadium (16.5/27). Full list below.
*The only primetime NFL broadcast to have a higher overnight rating than last night’s game dating back to 1997 was Thursday’s NFL Kickoff game between the Vikings and Saints which drew a 17.7/28 overnight.
The 16.6/26 is up 24 percent over last year’s SNF season opener (Bears-Packers, 13.4/22). The rating peaked at a 17.9/33 from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET.
BACK TO FOOTBALL: NBC’s two-game overnight average of a 17.1/27 is the best since the NFL created the Thursday/Sunday primetime weekend in 2002 and is up 26 percent over last year’s 13.6/23 for the opening weekend on NBC.
DOMINATED PRIMETIME: From 8:30-11 p.m., “Sunday Night Football” averaged a 16.5/25, 346 percent higher than second place CBS (3.7/6). NBC beat the combined primetime averages of CBS, Fox (3.0/4) and ABC (2.4/4) by 84 percent.
NBC’s 12.4/20 from 7-11 p.m. in metered-market households is the highest Sunday average for any networks since ABC televised the Academy Awards on March 7.
TOP 10 “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” OVERNIGHT RATING/SHARE EVER:
*Sunday’s only
1. 9/12/10, Cowboys-Redskins 16.6/26 (Last Night’s Game)
2. 9/20/09, Giants-Cowboys 16.5/27 (Dallas Cowboys Stadium Debut)
3. 11/25/07, Eagles-Patriots 15.6/24
4. 12/14/08, Giants-Cowboys 15.4/24
T5. 11/15/09, Patriots-Colts 15.1/24
T5. 11/5/06, Colts-Patriots 15.1/22
7. 9/10/06, Colts-Giants 14.7/23 (“Manning Bowl I”)
8. 9/21/08, Cowboys-Packers 14.4/22
9. 11/8/09, Cowboys-Eagles 14.3/23
10. 12/13/09, Eagles-Giants 13.8/22
WEEK ONE “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” GAMES:
9/12/10, Cowboys-Redskins 16.6/26
9/10/06, Colts-Giants 14.7/23 (“Manning Bowl I”)
9/9/07, Giants-Cowboys 13.6/22
9/13/09, Bears-Packers 13.4/22
9/7/08, Bears-Colts 13.0/20
TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR BEARS-PACKERS:
1. Dallas 39.6/58
2. Washington, D.C. 37.2/57
3. San Antonio 32.9/44
4. Richmond 32.1/46
5. Norfolk 30.5/43
6. Austin 26.3/39
7. New Orleans 25.3/34
8. Baltimore 22.6/34
9. Charlotte 21.6/33
10. Albuquerque 21.1/31
Interestingly, it is rare that markets not in the Top 10 score overnight ratings of more than a 20, but that was the case last night for Oklahoma City (20.1/29) and Nashville (20.0/29). Additionally, Philadelphia with a 19.7/29, ranked 14th.
*The San Francisco, Cincinnati and Louisville markets have been delayed by Nielsen
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