The results of the Super Bowl may have been a stunning upset, but the huge ratings are far less of a surprise.
Super Bowl XLII, featuring the New York Giants defeating the previously undefeated New England Patriots, drew a 44.7/66 overnight on FOX last night, up 6% from the 42.0/63 for Colts/Bears in ’07. Last year’s Super Bowl was the second most watched ever, behind only Super Bowl XXX in 1996.
The Sports Business Daily reports the 44.7 overnight is the highest for a Super Bowl in 21 years. The game averaged 89.1 million viewers in prime time, though that number figures to increase when the final ratings come in.
The 44.7 overnight is based on only 49 metered markets, as several markets — including the #2 and #3 markets in the country, Los Angeles and Chicago — were not factored in due to delays at Nielsen.
