Super Bowl ratings hit an eight-year low in the metered markets, but the numbers were not far off the go-go days of recent years.
Sunday’s Eagles-Patriots Super Bowl 52 earned a 47.4 overnight rating on NBC, down 2.9% from last year on FOX (Patriots-Falcons: 48.8), down 3.3% from 2016 on CBS (Broncos-Panthers: 49.0), and the lowest for the game since 2010 (Saints-Colts: 46.4).
Despite the eight-year low, the Eagles’ win posted the ninth-highest Super Bowl overnight on record (Nielsen began metered market overnights in 1987). The past nine Super Bowl games rank among the top ten.
Overnights peaked at a 52.2 from 10-10:15 PM ET, the game’s highest peak quarter-hour since 2015 (53.5). It edged last year’s peak of 52.1.
The game averaged a 45.5 in the first half (6:30-8:30 PM ET), rose to 48.1 for the Justin Timberlake halftime show (8:15-8:30), and finished with a 49.3 in the second half (8:30-10:30).
Highest Super Bowl Ratings in Metered Markets
[Sun. numbers from NBC Sports PR 2.5, Programming Insider 2.5]
