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Super Bowl XLIX Was Most Watched Show In TV History

NPR | By Eyder Peralta
Published February 2, 2015 at 5:08 PM EST

Super Bowl XLIX, a thrilling contest that came down to an unbelievable interception in the fourth quarter, has become the most watched show in television history.

According to numbers released by the ratings agency Nielsen, 114.4 million Americans tuned in to watch the Patriots beat the Seahawks 28 to 24 on Sunday.

In a press release, NBC, which televised the game, said that it surpassed the 2014 Super Bowl by 2 million viewers.

Per NBC, here are top 8 most-watched TV broadcasts in history:

  • 114.4 Million – Super Bowl XLIX, NBC (Last Night's Game)

  • 112.2 Million – Super Bowl XLVIII, FOX (Feb. 2014)

  • 111.3 Million – Super Bowl XLVI, NBC (Feb. 2012)

  • 111.0 Million – Super Bowl XLV, FOX (Feb. 2011)

  • 108.7 Million – Super Bowl XLVII, CBS (Feb. 2013)

  • 106.5 Million – Super Bowl XLIV, CBS (Feb. 2010)

  • 106.0 Million – M.A.S.H. Finale, CBS (Feb. 1983)

  • 98.7 Million – Super Bowl XLIII, NBC (Feb. 2009)

    • Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Eyder Peralta
    Eyder Peralta is an international correspondent for NPR. He was named NPR's Mexico City correspondent in 2022.
    See stories by Eyder Peralta
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