Nielsen will issue total-viewer estimates later today, but early indications are that Sunday’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks has broken U.S. television records.
In the metered-market overnights, the Patriots’ 28-24 victory earned a 49.7 household rating/72 share, eclipsing the previous high of 48.1 set two years ago when Baltimore defeated San Francisco on CBS. That game ended up averaging 108.41 million viewers in the nationals.
The Super Bowl has set ratings highs in six of the last seven years, peaking with 112.19 million for the Seahawks’ demolition of the Denver Broncos a year ago on Fox.