CBS Sports' coverage of Super Bowl XLIV was the most- watched program in television history, according to figures released Monday by The Nielsen Co.
The viewership -- 106.5 million -- topped the 1983 finale of "MASH," according to Nielsen figures.
“The Super Bowl remains the premier television event of the year, and is one of the few programs in an era of fragmented TV viewership that can still attract a huge national audience,” said Dave Thomas, Nielsen President, Media Client Services. “This year’s Super Bowl had a compelling narrative, with the underdog New Orleans Saints coming from behind against powerhouse Indianapolis Colts. There was tremendous interest in both the game and the advertisements leading up to last night and the excitement of the game itself translated into record ratings.”
To put those numbers in perspective, the top five most watched programs of all time are: (based on Nielsen data)Super Bowl XLIV, Feb. 7, 2010
M*A*S*H Special (series finale), Feb. 28, 1983
Dallas, Nov. 21, 1980
Roots Pt. VIII, Jan. 30, 1977
Super Bowl XVI Game, Jan. 24, 1982
Super Bowl XVII Game, Jan 30, 1983
XVII Winter Olympics - Wed-2, Feb. 23, 1994
Super Bowl XX Game, Jan. 26, 1986
Gone With The Wind-Pt.1 (Big Event-Pt 1), Nov. 7, 1976
Gone With The Wind-Pt.2 (NBC Mon.Mov.), Nov. 8, 1976
| TOP FIVE MOST WATCHED SUPER BOWLS OF ALL TIME |
|---|
| Super Bowl | Date | Network | Teams | Avg. # of Viewers (000) |
|---|
| XLIV | Feb 7, 2010* | CBS | New Orleans-Indianapolis | 106,480 |
| XLIII | Feb 1, 2009* | NBC | Arizona-Pittsburgh | 98,732 |
| XLII | Feb 3, 2008* | FOX | NY Giants-New England | 97,448 |
| XXX | Jan. 28, 1996 | NBC | Dallas-Pittsburgh | 94,080 |
| XLI | Feb 4, 2007* | CBS | Chicago-Indianapolis | 93,184 |
Source: The Nielsen Company
* Live + Same Day Viewing Estimates Include DVR Playback On The Same Day, Defined As 3AM-3AM |
