Unlike many other sports championship TV viewerships which have declined over time, Super Bowl TV viewership has not only held up, but after a generation of fairly flat viewership, began growing again in the last seven years or so.
Last year's Super Bowl XLVI had the highest average viewership (111.3 million) of any US TV telecast in history.
What's your guess for this year's Super Bowl XLVII viewership?
If you'd like to guess the viewership for Elementary, which follows the Super Bowl, click here.
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Complete Super Bowl TV Ratings:
| Game | Date | Net | rating | Share | $/30 Sec. Ad | Homes (000) | Viewers (000) | NFC Champion | AFC Champion |
| XLVI | Feb 5 2012* | NBC | 47.0 | 71 | 111,346 | New York Giants | New England | ||
| XLV | Feb 7 2011* | FOX | 46.0 | 69 | 111,010 | Green Bay | Pittsburgh | ||
| XLIV | Feb 7 2010* | CBS | 45.0 | 68 | $2,800,000 | 51,728 | 106,476 | New Orleans | Indianapolis |
| XLIII | Feb 1 2009* | NBC | 42.0 | 64 | $3,000,000 | 48,139 | 98,732 | Arizona | Pittsburgh |
| XLII | Feb 3 2008* | FOX | 43.1 | 65 | $2,699,963 | 48,665 | 97,448 | New York Giants | New England |
| XLI | Feb 4 2007* | CBS | 42.6 | 64 | $2,385,365 | 47,505 | 93,184 | Chicago | Indianapolis |
| XL | Feb 5 2006* | ABC | 41.6 | 62 | $2,500,000 | 45,867 | 90,745 | Seattle | Pittsburgh |
| XXXIX | Feb 6 2005 | FOX | 41.1 | 62 | $2,400,000 | 45,081 | 86,072 | Philadelphia | New England |
| XXXVIII | Feb 1 2004 | CBS | 41.4 | 63 | $2,302,200 | 44,908 | 89,795 | Carolina | New England |
| XXXVII | Jan 26 2003 | ABC | 40.7 | 61 | $2,200,000 | 43,433 | 88,637 | Tampa Bay | Oakland |
| XXXVI | Feb 3 2002 | FOX | 40.4 | 61 | $2,200,000 | 42,664 | 86,801 | St. Louis | New England |
| XXXV | Jan 28 2001 | CBS | 40.4 | 61 | $2,200,000 | 41,270 | 84,335 | NY Giants | Baltimore |
| XXXIV | Jan 30 2000 | ABC | 43.3 | 63 | $2,100,000 | 43,618 | 88,465 | St. Louis | Tennessee |
| XXXIII | Jan 31 1999 | FOX | 40.2 | 61 | $1,600,000 | 39,992 | 83,720 | Atlanta | Denver |
| XXXII | Jan 25 1998 | NBC | 44.5 | 67 | $1,291,100 | 43,630 | 90,000 | Green Bay | Denver |
| XXXI | Jan 26 1997 | FOX | 43.3 | 65 | $1,200,000 | 42,000 | 87,870 | Green Bay | New England |
| XXX | Jan 28 1996 | NBC | 46 | 68 | $1,085,000 | 44,145 | 94,080 | Dallas | Pittsburgh |
| XXIX | Jan 29 1995 | ABC | 41.3 | 62 | $1,150,000 | 39,400 | 83,420 | San Francisco | San Diego |
| XXVIII | Jan 30 1994 | NBC | 45.5 | 66 | $900,000 | 42,860 | 90,000 | Dallas | Buffalo |
| XXVII | Jan 31 1993 | NBC | 45.1 | 66 | $850,000 | 41,990 | 90,990 | Dallas | Buffalo |
| XXVI | Jan 26 1992 | CBS | 40.3 | 61 | $850,000 | 37,120 | 79,590 | Washington | Buffalo |
| XXV | Jan 27 1991 | ABC | 41.9 | 63 | $800,000 | 39,010 | 79,510 | NY Giants | Buffalo |
| XXIV | Jan 28 1990 | CBS | 39 | 63 | $700,400 | 35,920 | 73,852 | San Francisco | Denver |
| XXIII | Jan 22 1989 | NBC | 43.5 | 68 | $675,000 | 39,320 | 81,590 | San Francisco | Cincinnati |
| XXII | Jan 31 1988 | ABC | 41.9 | 62 | $645,000 | 37,120 | 80,140 | Washington | Denver |
| XXI | Jan 25 1987 | CBS | 45.8 | 66 | $600,000 | 40,030 | 87,190 | NY Giants | Denver |
| XX | Jan 26 1986 | NBC | 48.3 | 70 | $550,000 | 41,490 | 92,570 | Chicago | New England |
| XIX | Jan 20 1985 | ABC | 46.4 | 63 | $525,000 | 39,390 | 85,530 | San Francisco | Miami |
| XVIII | Jan 22 1984 | CBS | 46.4 | 71 | $368,200 | 38,880 | 77,620 | Washington | LA Raiders |
| XVII | Jan 30 1983 | NBC | 48.6 | 69 | $400,000 | 40,480 | 81,770 | Washington | Miami |
| XVI | Jan 24 1982 | CBS | 49.1 | 73 | $324,300 | 40,020 | 85,240 | San Francisco | Cincinnati |
| XV | Jan 25 1981 | NBC | 44.4 | 63 | $275,000 | 34,540 | 68,290 | Philadelphia | Oakland |
| XIV | Jan 20 1980 | CBS | 46.3 | 67 | $222,000 | 35,330 | 76,240 | LA Rams | Pittsburgh |
| XIII | Jan 21 1979 | NBC | 47.1 | 74 | $185,000 | 35,090 | 74,740 | Dallas | Pittsburgh |
| XII | Jan 15 1978 | CBS | 47.2 | 67 | $162,300 | 34,410 | 78,940 | Dallas | Denver |
| XI | Jan 09 1977 | NBC | 44.4 | 73 | $125,000 | 31,610 | 62,050 | Minnesota | Oakland |
| X | Jan 18 1976 | CBS | 42.3 | 78 | $110,000 | 29,440 | 57,710 | Dallas | Pittsburgh |
| IX | Jan 12 1975 | NBC | 42.4 | 72 | $107,000 | 29,040 | 56,050 | Minnesota | Pittsburgh |
| VIII | Jan 13 1974 | CBS | 41.6 | 73 | $103,500 | 27,540 | 51,700 | Minnesota | Miami |
| VII | Jan 14 1973 | NBC | 42.7 | 72 | $88,100 | 27,670 | 53,320 | Washington | Miami |
| VI | Jan 16 1972 | CBS | 44.2 | 74 | $86,100 | 27,450 | 56,640 | Dallas | Miami |
| V | Jan 17 1971 | NBC | 39.9 | 75 | $72,500 | 23,980 | 46,040 | Dallas | Baltimore |
| IV | Jan 11 1970 | CBS | 39.4 | 69 | $78,200 | 23,050 | 44,270 | Minnesota | Kansas City |
| III | Jan 12 1969 | NBC | 36 | 70 | $55,000 | 20,520 | 41,660 | Baltimore | NY Jets |
| II | Jan 14 1968 | CBS | 36.8 | 68 | $54,500 | 20,610 | 39,120 | Green Bay | Oakland |
| I | Jan 15 1967 | CBS | 22.6 | 43 | $42,500 | 12,410 | 26,750 | Green Bay | Kansas City |
| I | Jan 15 1967 | NBC | 18.5 | 36 | $37,500 | 10,160 | 24,430 | Green Bay | Kansas City |
2006-12 Data is Live+Same Day, all other years are Live viewing.
Ad expenditure data from Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
Note: Super Bowl 1 aired on both CBS & NBC.
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2013 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
I am going with somewhere between 110 Million-115 Million For a couple reasons:
1. 49ers is one of the most Popular teams in the NFL Even if it not a favorite it still like and respected. Ravens are Popular and liked too but not like the 49ers.
2. Both teams haven’t been in the Super Bowl in over a decade.
3. The bothers thing.
4. Ray Lewis
The ratings generally go up from year to year unless neither of the two teams involved aren’t very interesting in to viewers across the whole nation. The 49ers do fit that criteria, so it’s possible that the ratings might go above 112, but how far is hard to tell.
Last year, Madonna’s half-time show helped pull up the average. A more interesting question might be whether or not Beyonce will be able to do the same thing this year. Heck, why not ask whether or not Beyonce’s show will fare better than Madonna’s, since Madonna’s show is the most watched half hour in broadcast history.
(But, hey… It’s not my site. I just love visiting.)
Oh shut up about Madonna. She was terrible. Halftime performances suck all the time.
Whether she was terrible or great, the fact is that the halftime shows’ ratings do have an impact on any Super Bowl broadcast’s average viewership. Facts and facts. And you opinion is fine, but there is nothing objective about it… even though this is a discussion requiring objectivity. (And telling someone to shut up is just grand when you follow it with nonsense that doesn’t matter in the context of the discussion.)
@Petar Ivanov
You are pathetic as always. And NCIS LA has best compitable lead-in and best day of the week with zero or less competition but is with lower ratings than POI and CM.
Watch your stupid soapy Grey and don’t comment where big boys are talking.
Lol, “big boys” can speak proper English.
@Melissa & @Petar
I’m pretty sure the Petar speaks English as a second language. While I am offended by his use of the term “big boys” (and I am a boy myself, as my pic shows), I’d say that his English language skills are more than just ok. It is difficult to tell one’s true language skills through forums such as this, though, because everybody chooses which rules to follow and with ones to avoid. (Some such rules have less to do with grammar or spelling than basic human decency, though, and that’s the biggest problem of all.)
We can all do a lot better in seeing each other eye to eye when we aren’t calling out each other on language skills are referring to long-dead archetypical behavior that suggests women don’t belong in discussions that, essentially, are about business.
God bless us one and all. (He says half-seriously but with a full-throated chuckle, nonetheless.)