Update: our polled readers were too optimistic, though in their defense, it would've been hard to predict the late start time in advance. Elementary averaged 20.8 million viewers.
The timeslot immediately following the Super Bowl has in recent years been used to either premiere a new show, give a sampling boost to an existing relatively new show, or just reap the bonus advertising revenue from an already well performing veteran.
This year, CBS has slated Elementary to follow the big game, its only freshman scripted show that seems likely to survive the season.
Last year, NBC went with The Voice after the Super Bowl, and it averaged a very nice 37.61 million viewers.
What do you think the viewership of Elementary following the Super Bowl will be and why?
If you'd like to guess the viewership for the Super Bowl itself, click here.
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The "Program After The Super Bowl" Ratings History
| Super Bowl | Year | Network | Program | HH rating | HH Share | Avg. Homes (million) | Avg. Viewers (million) |
| XLVI | 2012 | NBC | The Voice | 18.4 | 31 | 37.611 | |
| XLV | 2011 | FOX | Glee | 13.6 | 25 | 15.777 | 26.796 |
| XLIV | 2010 | CBS | Undercover Boss | 19.1 | 32 | 21.91 | 38.654 |
| XLIII | 2009 | NBC | The Office | 11.6 | 21 | 13.338 | 22.905 |
| XLII | 2008 | FOX | House | 15.7 | 27 | 17.719 | 29.045 |
| XLI | 2007 | CBS | Criminal Minds | 15.1 | 26 | 16.770 | 26.314 |
| XL | 2006 | ABC | Grey's Anatomy | 21.0 | 34 | 23.106 | 37.881 |
| XXXIX | 2005 | FOX | Simpsons | 13.0 | 22 | 14.228 | 23.074 |
| XXXVIII | 2004 | CBS | Survivor All-Star | 17.9 | 32 | 19.415 | 33.535 |
| XXXVII | 2003 | ABC | Alias | 10.6 | 20 | 11.283 | 17.362 |
| XXXVI | 2002 | FOX | Malcolm In The Middle | 11.5 | 21 | 12.117 | 21.445 |
| XXXV | 2001 | CBS | Survivor II | 24.5 | 39 | 25.076 | 45.369 |
| XXXIV | 2000 | ABC | The Practice | 15.3 | 27 | 15.420 | 23.847 |
| XXXIII | 1999 | FOX | Family Guy -Preview | 12.6 | 21 | 12.560 | 22.005 |
| XXXII | 1998 | NBC | Third Rock from the Sun | 19.7 | 34 | 19.260 | 33.662 |
| XXXI | 1997 | FOX | X-Files | 17.2 | 29 | 16.730 | 29.098 |
| XXX | 1996 | NBC | Friends | 29.6 | 46 | 28.400 | 52.925 |
| XXIX | 1995 | ABC | Extreme Special | 14.2 | 25 | 13.350 | 22.594 |
| XXVIII | 1994 | NBC | John Laroquette Show | 12.3 | 22 | 11.590 | 17.708 |
| XXVII | 1993 | NBC | Homicide Special | 18.0 | 31 | 16.760 | 28.121 |
| XXVI | 1992 | CBS | 60 Minutes | 16.8 | 30 | 15.470 | 24.821 |
| XXV | 1991 | ABC | Davis Rules | 15.5 | 25 | 14.430 | 26.695 |
| XXIV | 1990 | CBS | Grand Slam | 18.6 | 30 | 17.130 | 30.765 |
| XXIII | 1989 | NBC | Sun Nite Movie | 20.9 | 36 | 18.890 | |
| XXII | 1988 | ABC | Wonder Years | 17.9 | 31 | 15.860 | 28.976 |
| XXI | 1987 | CBS | Hard Copy Special | 19.8 | 33 | 17.310 | |
| XX | 1986 | NBC | NBC Sunday Night Movie | 16.5 | 25 | 14.170 | 39.729 |
| XIX | 1985 | ABC | Macgrouder and Loud | 22.8 | 38 | 19.360 | |
| XVIII | 1984 | CBS | Airwolf Special(s) | 21.6 | 36 | 18.100 | 27.874 |
| XVII | 1983 | NBC | A-Team Special | 26.3 | 39 | 21.910 | 21.910 |
| XVI | 1982 | CBS | 60 Minutes | 26.2 | 36 | 21.350 | |
| XV | 1981 | NBC | Chips | 16.3 | 26 | 12.680 | |
| XIV | 1980 | CBS | 60 Minutes | 33.0 | 50 | 25.179 | 40.746 |
| XIII | 1979 | NBC | Brothers and Sisters | 21.0 | 32 | 15.650 | 31.722 |
| XII | 1978 | CBS | All In the Family | 30.4 | 47 | 22.160 | 35.472 |
| XI | 1977 | NBC | Disney's "Kit Carson" | 25.8 | 37 | 18.370 | 42.816 |
| X | 1976 | CBS | Phoenix Open Golf | 16.5 | 31 | 11.480 | 22.363 |
| IX | 1975 | NBC | NBC Sunday Night News | 16.7 | 28 | 11.440 | 15.924 |
| VIII | 1974 | CBS | Perry Mason** | 12.7 | 20 | 8.410 | 15.058 |
| VII | 1973 | NBC | Disney's "The Mystery | 28.4 | 44 | 18.400 | |
| VI | 1972 | CBS | 60 Minutes | 20.3 | 36 | 12.610 | |
| V | 1971 | NBC | Bing CrosbyPro-Am Golf Champshps | 19.2 | 36 | 11.540 | |
| IV | 1970 | CBS | Lassie | 21.5 | 34 | 12.580 | |
| III | 1969 | NBC | G.E. College Bowl | 11.7 | 21 | 6.670 | |
| II | 1968 | CBS | Lassie | 26.3 | 41.2 | 14.730 | |
| I | 1967 | CBS | Lassie | 15.6 | 25.3 | 8.560 | |
| I | 1967 | NBC | Disney's "The Mosby Raiders" Part II | 21.7 | 33.7 | 11.910 |
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2006-12 numbers are Live+Same Day, all others are Live Viewing.
Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2013 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
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For comparison, here are the historical Super Bowl ratings themselves.
Elementary- I’d say 36 million
Elementary was a smart choice for CBS. They are in a much different position than the other networks. They already have many successful shows and are not desperate to get that one big hit.
Their business model has always been to sheppard as many shows into syndication as they can. That is the end game for them. So they chose the one new show on their schedule that still has a chance and try to give it a boost. Makes perfect sense to me.
I think they should’ve done Person of Interest. Turn it into a bonafide hit so they can then in the future launch new shows behind it. Currently its a minor hit that does nothing for the show after it.
Interesting chart. So Freinds from 1996 was champion with over 50K follwed by Disney Kit Carson with over 40K in 1977.
Betting Elementary will be lucky to crack 30mil.
How do they choose the newtwork that will air the Super Bowl?
While CBS doesn’t NEED another hit drama or sitcom like the other networks. It wouldn’t hurt them to introduce a new show.
I guess their goal is to capatialize the only new modest hit they have this season.
@Carl – They rotate the Super Bowl among the networks that show NFL games. In this case NBC, FOX, and CBS. ABC no longer shows football and thus they are out of the running.
Very hard to gauge exactly.
By the numbers, I would guess that 25-30 million would represent the TV’s turned to the station.
By ‘turned to the station’, I mean TV’s that are left on after the game.
But the real question is, how many people are actually watching the follow on show and / or how many people are simply partying up a storm while no one is actually watching 1) the show and more significantly 2) the regular commercials being shown.
A huge percent of the total viewers I imagine.
Well, not actually TV’s, but viewers around those TV’s
If I was CBS, I would’ve put TBBT and 2BG. That would be great because TBBT will be huge after the Super Bowl, and I heard 2BG always grows out of TBBT repeats on Monday. So why not do a new episode of TBBT and then an all new episode of 2BG? I think it will be huge. But I can also see people watching TBBT but not watching 2BG as it will probably too girly for the Super Bowl. I can see them doing POI as well.
Does anybody know who’s gonna have the Super Bowl next year? If it’s FOX, they’ll probably put The Following after the Super Bowl.
Thank you, PurpleDrasi =)
@Kissan
Yes, FOX will air next Super Bowl.
Can someone tell me why were Alias’ numbers that low?
I would absolutely love to see a 2.2/6 for Elementary after the Super Bowl.
“Can someone tell me why were Alias’ numbers that low?”
The often repeated reason, that I cannot verify, is that the post game show was particularly long that year.
27.9. I think it does slightly worse than House which are fairly similar shows. But definitely an uptick from Glee.
Probably around 22-24 mil. POI would’ve done better.
“Can someone tell me why were Alias’ numbers that low?”
ALIAS was a very plot based program, I don’t think anyone who attempted to watch halfway through the season would have any idea what was going on.
Elementary is an excellent show and deserves the slot. TBBT does not fit at all with football, POI is too late to get new fans when the show is so far ahead, most people would be confused with what the heck is going on. Elementary is still new, there is still time to adapt to the new characters.
25 million at best