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106.5m Super Bowl viewers sets new record

Super Bowl XLIV scored a staggering 106.5m viewers overtaking the 27-year-old record set by the finale of MASH.

Super Bowl XLIV has set a new US television record, after it scored a staggering 106.5m viewers yesterday.

The game overtakes the 27-year-old record set by the final episode of MASH, which previousy stood at 105.97m viewers in 1983.

There were fewer US TV sets in 1983 when the MASH finale was broadcast, but with the growth of cable and satellite, TV networks now face competition from far more channels and the internet.

The game was also the first US televised sports event to top 100 million viewers, beating last year’s 98.7 million for Super Bowl XLIII.

Source: The Guardian

16 Responses

  1. I agree that so-called “expert” commentary during breaks in play are a waste, and thanks to them everybody nearly missed the play of the game, the onside kick at the beginning of the second half! (That play is now part of NFL legend!)

    I would have prefered the CBS halftime report, with real experts, and I would have loved to have seen the Post Game show, something for One to think about next year.

    Oh, I have to ask, why wasn’t the Pro Bowl shown on One? From all reports, it was a ripper of a game!
    All in All, Well done the Saints! Well deserved!

    PS, of course Benny Hill would rate higher than Gridiron, there is a larger British ex-pat community here than American after all. Plus Gridiron is not marketed well here either.

  2. @ craig again, if you had read my first post which David graciously inserted you would see I am well aware of what the viewer position is in the free tv market and how we free tv viewers can and ought respond to their intransigence

  3. CrAig says:
    February 9, 2010 at 5:29 pm

    @ gasbo… you rang the television station to have a rant….?? How awkward for you ranting at the receptionist.

    @ Craig, oh craig you poor misguided soul, I have been at this tv rant game for more than 30 years, I do know a swich op from a programme op

  4. Yes, the so-called “expert” commentary during breaks in play are unnecessary.
    If you want to see the Coke ad featuring The Simpsons, go to the Herald Sun website and find the link to “the best 10 Super Bowl commercials” (as picked by Fox Sports website in the US) on the right. It is one of 5 most read articles today.

  5. @ gasbo… you rang the television station to have a rant….?? How awkward for you ranting at the receptionist.
    Next time you go to pick up the phone… try to remember, you’re not actually paying them anything, and they don’t owe you squat….
    And don’t rant at me, I know you’re an Indirect customer. All the same buddy…. it’s a no no on the phone calls

  6. @ Richard W: “It wasthe US feed direct from CBS! They had to cut to the ONE studio panel during the ad breaks, of which there are many in the Super Bowl.”

    Rubbish, the games One HD aired during whole season of the NFL was shown direct and when the US had ad breaks, we had ad breaks, the panel of ‘experts’ was not necessary and why they were there is a mystery, furthermore when I rang TEN to have a rant, they said nothing about the ad break thing.

    I listened to a webcast and watched the graphic on the NFL website, I know all the players and their positions

  7. What are you all on about? It wasthe US feed direct from CBS! They had to cut to the ONE studio panel during the ad breaks, of which there are many in the Super Bowl.

    Okay we may have missed about 2 seconds of play sometimes when they cut back to the feed, but at least Steve Carfino and Dave Hughes werent doing the actual commentary of the game!

  8. Each year I look forward to Superbowl after having become interested in the game in 1975 (read about it in the ’75 Funk and Wagnalls [LOL]). I had to turn it off at about 20 minutes in the the first quarter as One (again) totally destroyed the telecast with its panel of so called ‘experts’. In the 20 minutes I watched, the experts interrupted the flow of play, the crowd atmosphere went west, no interviews, US commentators taking we hear ONE’s experts. Shocker. Yep I am aware it’s free tv and they do what they like, I’m a free tv watcher, so can I.

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