Super Bowl XLVI on NBC received a 47.8 rating, one-tenth of a point below the record of 47.9 set by Super Bowl XLV on Fox last year. It’s the 3rd highest overnight in history.
Locally, Boston set a local overnight rating record with a 56.7 while New York was off the record set in 2008 for Super Bowl XLII. NYC had a 49.7 last night, off from the 53.4 set four years ago.
Interestingly, the Madonna Super Bowl halftime show received a 48.1 overnight, higher than the actual game.
No official press release yet, when it comes, I’ll pass it along.
UPDATE, 11:10 a.m.: As soon as I post this, the NBC press release arrives in the Fang’s Bites inbox.
SUPER BOWL XLVI EARNS 47.8 OVERNIGHT RATING
3rd Highest Super Bowl Overnight Ever, Less Than One Percent Behind Super Bowls XLV and XXI (47.9)
14% Higher Than Last NBC Super Bowl
7% Higher Than Last Time Giants and Patriots Met in Super Bowl XLII
Boston Registered a 56.7/81, Best Overnight Rating Ever for an NFL game in Boston
New York Registered a 49.7/74, Second-Best Overnight Ever for an NFL game in New York
Final Half-Hour of Pre-Game Show Best Since 2003INDIANAPOLIS – Feb. 6, 2012 – Super Bowl XLVI in which the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17, earned a 47.8/71 overnight rating/share last night on NBC, the third-highest overnight rating in Super Bowl history and less than one percent off the highest (47.9 for both Super Bowl XLV and Super Bowl XXI), according to overnight data released today by The Nielsen Company.
- 47.8/71 is seven percent higher than Super Bowl XLII on Fox when the Giants defeated the Patriots 17-14.
- The overnight rating is 14 percent higher than the last Super Bowl on NBC (Super Bowl XLIII, Steelers 27, Cardinals 23) and higher than any of NBC’s previous 11 Super Bowls in which there were metered markets.
- Tops all other Super Bowls involving the Giants and Patriots in Nielsen People Meter History (Since 1988).
“This confirms that the Super Bowl is the most dominant and consistent property on television,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “We are fortunate, in our new agreement with the NFL, to be able to broadcast three more Super Bowls over the next nine years.”
TOP 5 SUPER BOWL OVERNIGHTS OF ALL TIME:
T1. 47.9/71 – Super Bowl XLV, Packers 31-Steelers 25, Fox
T1. 47.9/68 – Super Bowl XXI, Giants 39-Broncos 20, CBS
3. 47.8/71 – Super Bowl XLVI, Giants 21-Patriots 17, NBC
4. 47.4/NA – Super Bowl XIV, Steelers 31-Rams 19, CBS
5. 46.9/70 – Super Bowl XX, Bears 46-Patriots 10, NBCRATING GROWS THROUGHOUT THE GAME: The rating grew throughout the game and peaked at a 51.8/73 from 9:30-10 p.m. ET in the fourth quarter when Eli Manning led the Giants on a game-winning drive.
HALF HOURS (Times ET):
6:30-7, 43.3/69
7-7:30, 45.9/71
7:30-8, 47.7/72
8-8:30, 48.1/72
8:30-9, 48.3/71
9-9:30, 49.3/70
9:30-10, 51.8/73FINAL HALF HOUR OF PRE-GAME SHOW BEST SINCE ’03: From 6-6:30, the Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Game show drew a 34.5 overnight rating, two percent higher than last year and the best for the final half-hour of the pre-game show since Super Bowl XXXVII (35.3 on ABC). Total pre-game (2-6:30) registered a 12.0/23 just two percent off from last year’s (12.2/23) and two percent higher than the last NBC Super Bowl (11.8/23 for Super Bowl XLIII).
- The halftime performance by Madonna (8-8:30), earned a 48.1/72 overnight, one percent ahead of last year’s 8-8:30 time period featuring the Black Eyed Peas (47.4/70) and 20 percent higher than NBC’s last Super Bowl with Bruce Springsteen (40.2/62).
- The post-game (10-10:15) registered a 35.3/54, 17 percent higher than last year’s 30.3 for Super Bowl XLV in Fox.
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
When Fast National data is available from Nielsen this afternoon, the viewership could approach last year’s 111.0 million that watched Super Bowl XLV, the most-watched Super Bowl ever, and the most-watched television audience in U.S. history.
*Note, the “fast affiliate” data that is available later this morning does NOT reflect live audience for the Super Bowl across the country.
*Overnight ratings measure the top 56 U.S. metered markets.
Viewership numbers are expected later today. We’ll see if Super Bowl XLVI has set a record. Remember the record set last year is 111 million.
