There is no doubt that the National Football League is the most popular sports league in the country and fans from all over tune in to watch the biggest game of them all — the Super Bowl. This year was no different and it is being reported that a record audience tuned in to CBS to watch the Super Bowl XLVII matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.
Per a release from the league:
The 2012 NFL season concluded with another television milestone as Super Bowl XLVII on CBS reached a total audience of 164.1 million viewers (6:32-8:41 and 9:11-10:47 PM, ET), making it the most-viewed show in U.S. television history according to The Nielsen Company.
The 49ers-Ravens championship game topped the previous record of 162.9 million total viewers for Super Bowl XLV (Packers-Steelers) and marks the fifth consecutive Super Bowl to reach a total audience of more than 150 million viewers. Super Bowls account for the 22 most-watched programs in history in terms of total audience.
Here is how Super Bowl XLVII stacked up against the previous years:
| Game | Total Viewers |
| Super Bowl XLVII (49ers-Ravens), 2/3/13 | 164.1 million |
| Super Bowl XLV (Packers-Steelers), 2/6/11 | 162.9 million |
| Super Bowl XLVI (Giants-Patriots), 2/5/12 | 159.2 million |
| Super Bowl XLIV (Colts-Saints), 2/7/10 | 153.4 million |
| Super Bowl XLIII (Cardinals-Steelers), 2/1/09 | 151.6 million |
Source: NFL, The Nielsen Company
The numbers speak volumes about the drawing power of the league and shows that the NFL is going nowhere, despite what some people may be saying about the direction the league is heading.
