Update: in preliminary timezone adjusted fast national Nielsen numbers Fox reports the Super Bowl averaged 113.7 including streaming and Fox Deportes with 111.3 million on just the Fox broadcast net.
Since the historical comparisons only are TV #s, I’m using the 111.3 number making it the 5th most-watched all-time.
Only one more Sunday of NFL left, will it be the biggest Sunday ever in terms of viewership? I’d probably bet against that.
While for most events the teams involved and closeness of game typically matter a lot, it seems the Super Bowl is immune to that (e.g. Seattle’s 43-8 blowout of Denver in February 2014 still set what was at the time record Super Bowl viewership).
Super Bowl TV ratings 1967-2017:
| Super Bowl | Date | Network | Household rating | Avg. no. of homes (000s) | Avg. no. of persons 2+ (000s) | Teams (winners in capitals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LI | Feb. 5, 2017 | FOX | 45.3 | 111,300 ** | NEW ENGLAND vs. Atlanta | |
| 50 | Feb. 7, 2016 | CBS | 46.6 | 111,864 | Carolina vs. DENVER | |
| XLIX | Feb. 1, 2015 | NBC | 47.5 | 114,442 | NEW ENGLAND vs. Seattle | |
| XLVIII | Feb. 2, 2014 | FOX | 46.7 | 54,079 | 112,191 | SEATTLE vs. Denver |
| XLVII | Feb. 3, 2013 | CBS | 46.3 | 52,881 | 108,414 | BALTIMORE vs. San Francisco |
| XLVI | Feb. 5, 2012 | NBC | 47.1 | 53,910 | 111,346 | NEW YORK GIANTS vs. New England |
| XLV | Feb. 6 2011 | FOX | 46 | 53,282 | 111,041 | GREEN BAY vs. Pittsburgh. |
| XLIV | Feb. 7 2010 | CBS | 45 | 51,728 | 106,476 | NEW ORLEANS vs. Indianapolis |
| XLIII | Feb. 1 2009 | NBC | 42 | 48,139 | 98,732 | Arizona vs. PITTSBURGH |
| XLII | Feb. 3 2008 | FOX | 43.1 | 48,665 | 97,448 | NEW YORK GIANTS vs. New England |
| XLI | Feb. 4 2007 | CBS | 42.6 | 47,505 | 93,184 | Chicago vs. INDIANAOPOLIS |
| XL | Feb. 5 2006 | ABC | 41.6 | 45,867 | 90,745 | Seattle vs. PITTSBURGH |
| XXXIX | Feb. 6 2005 | FOX | 41.1 | 45,081 | 86,072 | Philadelphia vs. NEW ENGLAND |
| XXXVIII | Feb. 1 2004 | CBS | 41.4 | 44,908 | 89,795 | Carolina vs. NEW ENGLAND |
| XXXVII | Jan. 26 2003 | ABC | 40.7 | 43,433 | 88,637 | TAMPA BAY vs. Oakland |
| XXXVI | Feb. 3 2002 | FOX | 40.4 | 42,664 | 86,801 | St. Louis vs. NEW ENGLAND |
| XXXV | Jan. 28 2001 | CBS | 40.4 | 41,270 | 84,335 | NY Giants vs. BALTIMORE |
| XXXIV | Jan. 30 2000 | ABC | 43.3 | 43,618 | 88,465 | ST. LOUIS vs. Tennessee |
| XXXIII | Jan. 31 1999 | FOX | 40.2 | 39,992 | 83,720 | Atlanta vs. DENVER |
| XXXII | Jan. 25 1998 | NBC | 44.5 | 43,630 | 90,000 | GREEN BAY vs. Denver |
| XXXI | Jan. 26 1997 | FOX | 43.3 | 42,000 | 87,870 | GREEN BAY vs. New England |
| XXX | Jan. 28 1996 | NBC | 46 | 44,145 | 94,080 | DALLAS vs. Pittsburgh |
| XXIX | Jan. 29 1995 | ABC | 41.3 | 39,400 | 83,420 | SAN FRANCISCO vs. San Diego |
| XXVIII | Jan. 30 1994 | NBC | 45.5 | 42,860 | 90,000 | DALLAS vs. Buffalo |
| XXVII | Jan. 31 1993 | NBC | 45.1 | 41,990 | 90,990 | DALLAS vs. Buffalo |
| XXVI | Jan. 26 1992 | CBS | 40.3 | 37,120 | 79,590 | WASHINGTON vs. Buffalo |
| XXV | Jan. 27 1991 | ABC | 41.9 | 39,010 | 79,510 | NEW YORK GIANTS vs. Buffalo |
| XXIV | Jan. 28 1990 | CBS | 39 | 35,920 | 73,852 | SAN FRANCISCO vs. Denver |
| XXIII | Jan. 22 1989 | NBC | 43.5 | 39,320 | 81,590 | SAN FRANCISCO vs. Cincinnati |
| XXII | Jan. 31 1988 | ABC | 41.9 | 37,120 | 80,140 | WASHINGTON vs. Denver |
| XXI | Jan. 25 1987 | CBS | 45.8 | 40,030 | 87,190 | NEW YORK GIANTS vs. Denver |
| XX | Jan. 26 1986 | NBC | 48.3 | 41,490 | 92,570 | CHICAGO vs. New England |
| XIX | Jan. 20 1985 | ABC | 46.4 | 39,390 | 85,530 | SAN FRANCISCO vs. Miami |
| XVIII | Jan. 22 1984 | CBS | 46.4 | 38,880 | 77,620 | Washington vs. LA RAIDERS |
| XVII | Jan. 30 1983 | NBC | 48.6 | 40,480 | 81,770 | WASHINGTON vs. Miami |
| XVI | Jan. 24 1982 | CBS | 49.1 | 40,020 | 85,240 | SAN FRANCISCO vs. Cincinnati |
| XV | Jan. 25 1981 | NBC | 44.4 | 34,540 | 68,290 | Philadelphia vs. OAKLAND |
| XIV | Jan. 20 1980 | CBS | 46.3 | 35,330 | 76,240 | LA Rams vs. PITTSBURGH |
| XIII | Jan. 21 1979 | NBC | 47.1 | 35,090 | 74,740 | Dallas vs. PITTSBURGH |
| XII | Jan. 15 1978 | CBS | 47.2 | 34,410 | 78,940 | DALLAS vs. Denver |
| XI | Jan. 09 1977 | NBC | 44.4 | 31,610 | 62,050 | Minnesota vs. OAKLAND |
| X | Jan. 18 1976 | CBS | 42.3 | 29,440 | 57,710 | Dallas vs. PITTSBURGH |
| IX | Jan. 12 1975 | NBC | 42.4 | 29,040 | 56,050 | Minnesota vs. PITTSBURGH |
| VIII | Jan. 13 1974 | CBS | 41.6 | 27,540 | 51,700 | Minnesota vs. MIAMI |
| VII | Jan. 14 1973 | NBC | 42.7 | 27,670 | 53,320 | Washington vs. MIAMI |
| VI | Jan. 16 1972 | CBS | 44.2 | 27,450 | 56,640 | DALLAS vs. Miami |
| V | Jan. 17 1971 | NBC | 39.9 | 23,980 | 46,040 | Dallas vs. BALTIMORE |
| IV | Jan. 11 1970 | CBS | 39.4 | 23,050 | 44,270 | Minnesota vs. KANSAS CITY |
| III | Jan. 12 1969 | NBC | 36 | 20,520 | 41,660 | Baltimore vs. NY JETS |
| II | Jan. 14 1968 | CBS | 36.8 | 20,610 | 39,120 | GREEN BAY vs. Oakland |
| I | Jan. 15 1967 | CBS | 22.6 | 12,410 | 26,750 | GREEN BAY vs. Kansas City |
| I | Jan. 15 1967 | NBC | 18.5 | 10,160 | 24,430 | GREEN BAY vs. Kansas City |
**This number could still be revised up in final national numbers released tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb 7, 2017). I’ll update then.