Another year brought another viewership record for the Super Bowl. Sunday night’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX was the most-watched program in TV history.
According to Nielsen data, Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks broke a year-old record for viewers—drawing an overnight number of 114.4 million viewers, according to NBC, as reported by Business Insider.
That tops last year’s Super Bowl XLVIII broadcast on FOX between the Seahawks and Denver Broncos which attracted 112.2 million viewers.
More from New England Patriots
- Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
- NFL rumors: Patriots screwed themselves with DeAndre Hopkins pursuit
- Bill O’Brien arrival did not end the road for one disliked Patriots coach
- 3 biggest mistakes from the NFL offseason
- NFL Rumors: Dalvin Cook free agency complicated by court filing
SI.com reported that the game Sunday night drew a 49.7 household rating—the highest ever for a Super Bowl, topping a 49.1 share for Super Bowl XVI between the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers in January 1982.
The list of the top eight most-watched shows of all-time looks like a Super Bowl listing from the 21st century—seven of the eight spots are taken up by Super Bowl games played since 2009.
The only non-Super Bowl programming in that top eight is the M*A*S*H* series finale, which drew 106 million viewers in February 1983.
That broadcast of the Korean War comedy-drama starring Alan Alda is still the highest-rated show in television history with a 60.2 mark. A November 1980 airing of Dallas (53.3) and Part VIII of the iconic miniseries Roots (51.1) in January 1997 are the only other shows to top a 50 percent rating.
Super Bowl XLIX is the fourth-highest rated show in television history.
The numbers give merit to the $4.5 million rate for a 30-second commercial spot—I mean, if you want eyeballs on your ad, there’s no better place to do it than a game that is part sports, part national event, part commercial watching extravaganza.
Seriously, it’s the only game of the year where I actually watch the commercials.
There were ancillary effects of the huge interest in the game, which went down to the closing seconds before it was decided.
The Blacklist drew its highest ratings ever for the broadcast of a new episode immediately following the game and The Tonight Show had its second-best numbers since Jimmy Fallon’s misguided elevation to host.
Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reported that the viewership of Sunday night’s game peaked during the fourth quarter.
Super Bowl viewership peaked at 120.8 million viewers from 9:45-10 p.m. ET during the fourth quarter.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) February 2, 2015
And yet, despite all of this obvious evidence of millions of hung over people trying to function on the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday, the calls to make Super Bowl Monday a national holiday are still being resisted.
Is there are better representation of the 21st century American spirit than Super Bowl Monday? A holiday to celebrate largess without the historical guilt that can be brought on by Thanksgiving? Sign me up!
More from FanSided
- Joe Burrow owes Justin Herbert a thank you note after new contract
- Chiefs gamble at wide receiver could already be biting them back
- Braves-Red Sox start time: Braves rain delay in Boston on July 25
- Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
- MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle