or


[02/06/12 - 11:55 AM]
Super Bowl XLVI Is Most-Watched Television Show in U.S. History
NBC further spins the numbers for Sunday, February 5 (updated with time zone-adjusted fast nationals).

[via press release from NBC]

SUPER BOWL XLVI IS MOST-WATCHED TELEVISION SHOW IN U.S. HISTORY

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 1983 (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 15 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





  [february 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· VOICE, THE (NBC)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[01/07/26 - 12:32 PM]
Bowl Season on ESPN Networks Delivers Strongest Audience Since 2015-16
ABC delivered its largest non CFP bowl audience in 12 years, averaging 6.2 million viewers across six games.

[01/07/26 - 09:29 AM]
In 2025, Fans Power ESPN and "ESPN on ABC" to Its Most-Watched Year in Over a Decade
ESPN networks increased industry-leading sports share to 35 percent, up from 31 percent in 2024.

[01/06/26 - 03:18 PM]
FOX NFL Rings in Best Regular Season Since 2015
The regular season averaged 19.633 million viewers for the network.

[01/06/26 - 03:00 PM]
Record-Setting Season as "Sunday Night Football" on NBC and Peacock Averages 23.5 Million Viewers & Paces as Primetime's #1 Show for Unprecedented 15th Consecutive Year
"Sunday Night Football" averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 23.5 million viewers for the 2025 season.

[01/06/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of December 29 - "Stranger Things 5" Concludes Right Side Up at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
At No. 2 on the English TV list with 12.7 million views is the new Harlan Coben mystery series "Run Away," centered on a father desperate for clues about his missing daughter while a string of related murders heightens the urgency to find her.

[01/05/26 - 02:34 PM]
2025-26 College Football Playoff Quarterfinals on ESPN Score 19.3 Million Average Viewers; CFP Up YOY Through Two Rounds
The Rose Bowl (Indiana vs. Alabama) topped all coverage with 23.9 million viewers on average.

[01/05/26 - 09:49 AM]
Prime Video Delivers "Thursday Night Football's" Most-Watched Season Ever
The 2025 season averaged 15.33 million viewers throughout its 15-game campaign, marking a +16% increase over the 2024 season and the third-consecutive year of double-digit, year-over-year viewership growth.

[01/02/26 - 03:45 PM]
"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" Rises to Four Year High Reaching 30 Million Total Viewers at Midnight
The telecast averaged 18.8 million total viewers in the 11:30pm-12:30am hour alone.

[01/02/26 - 09:49 AM]
FOX NFL's Week 17 "America's Game of the Week" Comes Out on Top with 28.8 Million Viewers
The Eagles-Bills close finish marked FOX's second most-watched telecast of the regular season.

[12/31/25 - 12:46 PM]
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-Vikings Becoming the Most-Streamed NFL Game in US History
Said coverage averaged 27.5 million viewers in the US, with US viewership peaking at over 30 million viewers.

[12/31/25 - 10:11 AM]
NFL on Prime's Christmas Night Showdown Between the Broncos and Chiefs Sets New Viewership Marks for "TNF"
The streamer's "Thursday Night Football" finale averaged 21.06 million viewers, peaking with 22.90 million.

[12/31/25 - 10:08 AM]
ESPN Delivered Largest Average NBA Christmas Audience Since 2018
The San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game in the 2:30 p.m. window became ESPN's most-watched NBA Christmas game in the timeslot since 2017, averaging 6.7 million viewers.

[12/30/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of December 22 - "Stranger Things 5" Runs Up That Hill to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
At No. 2 on the list was "Emily in Paris" Season 5 with 13.3 million views.

[12/30/25 - 08:00 AM]
Aced It! ESPN Scored Most-Watched 2025 NCAA Women's College Volleyball Season on Record
The entirety of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament finished up 13% year over year, averaging 666,000 viewers across the 15 matches and featured the most-watched Regionals on record.

[12/24/25 - 10:01 AM]
Dec. 20 Holiday Episode Ranks as #1 "Saturday Night Live" Telecast of the Season
Hosted by Ariana Grande with musical guest Cher, the episode drew 5.4 million viewers.