The game, between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, was viewed in 53.3 million households, with a preliminary 46.0 U.S. household rating.
According to preliminary results from The Nielsen Company, last Sundays broadcast of Super Bowl XLV on Fox had an average audience of 111 million viewers, surpassing last years Super Bowl, and thereby breaking the record, yet again, for the most watched television program of all time. The game was viewed in 53.3 million households, with a preliminary 46.0 U.S. household rating.Super Bowl XLV caps what is arguably the most successful season that any sports league has ever had. The number of people watching NFL games has never been higher, with 24% more people watching the average NFL game this year than just five years ago. The Super Bowl continues to be in a category of its own, with an appeal that transcends sports and extends even to the commercials. Because of the cliff-hanger nature of the game, viewers were tuning in until the very end, driving viewing levels to new heights, said Pat McDonough, senior vice president, Insights, Analysis and Policy at the Nielsen Company.
