Game photos: Super Bowl XLIX
This year’s adrenaline-pumping Super Bowl, complete with a dramatic finish by the winning New England Patriots against the defending NFL champion Seattle Seahawks, unsurprisingly drew super-duper audience numbers.
National Nielsen overnights, in fact, tout the TV thriller on NBC Sunday night as setting a ratings record. Up three percent from last year’s number, TV’s biggest football event earned the highest Super Bowl-metered market rating in history with a 49.7 rating and 72 share.
Translated, nearly 89.8 million total viewers watched the game, Katy Perry’s sizzling halftime performance and, yes — as lackluster as they may have been to some — the commercials.
Locally, NBC affiliate WOAI also is popping champagne corks after the Super Bowl drew a dizzying 45 rating, 68 share, which topped last year’s Fox number of 44 rating, 66 share.
A ratings point equals 9,062 S.A. area households.
It, of course, solidly blew away all competition. The only competing shows that registered anything close to a decent rating were “Shark Tank” on KSAT; and “60 Minutes” on KENS.
Speaking of Perry’s dynamite song-and-dance extravaganza, that show also whipped up on last year’s national halftime rating. According to Nielsen, her performances — complete with a roaring entrance atop a giant gold tiger (or was it a lion?), dancing sharks and high-flying choreography — topped the 2014 show featuring Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers by 5 percent.
Photos: Getty