Super Bowl Ratings The 2nd Best Ever

Pittsburgh-Arizona Game Draws 95.4M Viewers; Last Year's Game Attracted Record 97.4M

(CBS/ AP)  An estimated 95.4 million people watched the Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl, making it second only to last year's game as the most popular ever.

NBC was blessed with a thrilling finish, and viewership peaked late in the fourth quarter, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The 2008 game between the Giants and the Patriots had a similar come-from-behind, last-minute score for the victory. Two big markets and the novelty of a team trying to go 19-0 kicked the 2008 game to an audience of 97.4 million.

The only program other than a Super Bowl to top Sunday night's game in U.S. television history was the finale of the "M-A-S-H" series in 1983.

Meanwhile, the Go Daddy Web site's "enhancement" ad with Danica Patrick was the most-watched commercial in the Super Bowl.

TiVo Inc. made that determination by combining the number of people who watched the ad live and went back to see it again on their digital video recorder.

Placing the ad in the game's final few minutes was a huge gamble that paid off for Go Daddy Group Inc. If it had been a lousy game, much of the audience would have drifted away, but the gripping finish between Pittsburgh and Arizona kept fans watching.

Todd Juenger, general manager of TiVo's research department, says eight of the 10 most-watched ads came in the second half.

A Doritos commercial was the hands-down fan favorite, according to a "USA Today" consumer opinion poll. But one of the misses was Careerbuilder.com's ad, according to Richard Kirshenbaum, ad executive and co-chairman/founder of Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners.

[ptyoungthang]

Sorry- I meant help defeat Palin/McCain in the 3rd paragraph of my previous post. I am usually pretty articulate but there are some real goofballs on this post - they are rubbing off on me. Geesh!

[ptyoungthang]

BBrundj - you have to be American to understand. Just like we wouldn%u2019t understand what the heck you find so interesting about your culture. Why don%u2019t you go to a site that is more appealing to your "sensibilities" and stop taking up space on this one.

redhawk1021 You are so right on dude! The right-wingnuts will turn ANYTHING into a political cheap shot. That''s why nobody is listening to their party. They are such LOSERS.

They really think it was the media that elected Palin. Not that she was an idot, who shot moose from helicopters and even those in her own part thought she was stupid. Not that McCains ENTIRE campaign was %u201CObama is a socialist, Marxist, MUSLIM who pals around with terrorist!%u201D They don%u2019t have ANY solutions so the only thing they can do is take cheap political shots in blogs because they have NO power anywhere else! Obama is being, in my opinion, unnecessarily inclusive to the Repugs%u2026I would expound more BUT THE STORY IS ABOUT FREAKIN%u2019 FOOTBALL!!

[jizzumjim]

great game refs. you deserve the mvp. just like you deserved it year before last when you cheated for the steelers against the seahawks. the nfl is a fraud.

[rational_1]

I wonder how much the ratings were influenced by the economy - lots of people don''t have the money to go anywhere and the Super Bowl becomes the default that evening.

Good game and I agree with the previous poster about Harrison. He should have been tossed.

If only a single Cardinal could have stopped a 250 lb guy from running 100 yards... I mean, c''mon that was about a 15 sec 100 yd dash. Geez...

[bbrundj]

What was so great about Springsteen, or the mindless TV ads? I do not understand you, America.

[loachy01]

wow 97 million people saw one of the worst officiating games in history. Even the shows on ESPN were all over the crew on how bad they(Officials) were.

[smirk22-2009]

It''s nice that Kurt Warner was shown that God wanted the Steelers to win this game.

[fsw3]

What''''s even vaguely logical about "football" when virtually nobody ever kicks the ball and "touchdown" when the ball isn''''t touched down?????


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Posted by hower4 at 06:33 PM : Feb 02, 2009
I wondered the same thing myself. American football has transformed greatly from the 1869 game between Princeton and Rutgers. That game was indeed much like soccer. At any rate, a local kid from my town was in the game and it was a whole lot of fun.

[endrepubs]

Steelers Fans. I have a question. Why is the Steeler logo on only one side of the helmet? I have always wondered about this. Anybody know?

[redhawk1021]

Probably realized they have to do their part to be positive now that President Obama is in office.

Posted by Speakinup21 at 06:35 PM : Feb 02, 2009

Just curious - are you able to comment on a story without childishly trying to score cheap political points?

Get a life dude. You should be able to spend your time doing more than hating anyone who isn''t a rightwing nutjob like yourself.

[redhawk1021]

What''s even vaguely logical about "football" when virtually nobody ever kicks the ball and "touchdown" when the ball isn''t touched down?????

Posted by hower4 at 06:33 PM : Feb 02, 2009

The ball gets kicked all the time (punts, PATs, field goals.) Terminology develops along with the sport, perhaps it made more sense when the game was first played.

You dont like it? Fine, ignore it then. It''s not like you''re being forced to watch it (or make comments on message boards.) A lot of people enjoy the game and they''re not hurting you in any way, so why do you care?

[redhawk1021]

Neither make any sense at all!

Posted by hower4 at 06:13 PM : Feb 02, 2009

If you grew up with the game it does. Kind of like cricket - which seems silly to most Americans. Unless you care to explain the sound logic behind terms like pitch, stumps, wickets and creases?

[redhawk1021]

Add sport''s figures, music entertainers, Hollywood-types, etc. to Wall St. CEOs, investors, etc. They all make too much.

Posted by Credibility2 at 05:08 PM : Feb 02, 2009

What about conservative media types like Limbaugh, O''Reilly, Coulter, Hannity, etc. Do they deserve the millions they make?

[misssuzq]

I would like games in "real" weather, as well - John Madden games.

Jennifer Hudson supposedly lip-synced and that is OK, but what bothered me was such an extreme variation of the original score. Why mess with a song that sounds good all on its own?

Also, people in everyday jobs are out maybe for three days of bereavement leave, so after several months, I do not have the "she is returning...blah, blah" attitude that others have.

She is very lucky to have a career that allows for unlimited time off for such a tragic loss.

[noirviolette]

It''s clear by most of the comments your NOT true football fans and haven''t watched too many Super Bowls in at least the last 10 years.It cracks me up to read comments by people who don''t know what their talking about.

[endrepubs]

Hower4 makes some pretty good points about American Football. The games are so different now that you can not really compare them. American football, which is so slow compared to rugby, is so much about looks now with the fancy helmet and uniform designs as well as the flashy on and off-field personalities. The numerous timeouts and breaks between plays make it a very slow game. I don''t think many NFL players would want to play rugby. (They like keeping their teeth)

[credibility2]

Another group of egregiously overpaid individuals. Add sport''s figures, music entertainers, Hollywood-types, etc. to Wall St. CEOs, investors, etc. They all make too much.

[endrepubs]

Oh and I might add, a lot of people are turned off by the on-field cockiness of the players whenever they make a good play. The in-your-face chest pounding, whooping, celebrating, taunting and other unsportsmanlike behavior of most of the players (receivers, backs and defensive players are the most guilty) has gotten out of control in recent years. the NFL is developing an NBA problem.

[endrepubs]

Another thing that takes the juice out of the Super Bowl is the fact that it is no longer played in Northern climes with snow and other elements to keep it interesting. All the games are played in very Southern locations, usually indoors on fake turf. Lets get real and gritty again like football is supposed to be.

[jsd330]

Hey hower4 Hockey players wear armour are they sissies to.