With an average of 111 million viewers, Fox's broadcast of Super Bowl XLV on Sunday between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers became the most-watched show in US television history.
The Packers’ 31-25 victory surpassed last year's Super Bowl, which pulled in 106.5 million viewers and eclipsed the series finale of M*A*S*H, which drew 106 million in 1983 and established a record that stood for nearly three decades.
The 46.0 rating was equal to Super Bowl XXX as the highest-rated NFL title game since Super Bowl XX (48.3), while the total number of viewers over the age of two years old was 162.9 million.
The record viewing figures were registered for a game that could be the last one for the foreseeable future, if current discussions over a new collective bargaining agreement fail to prevent a lockout.
Meanwhile the NFL has admitted that it knew last week there were problems with the installation of temporary Super Bowl seating sections at Cowboys Stadium, but “just ran out of time” to fix them. Four hundred people were forced to give up their seats on Sunday due to the problem, but the NFL has already said it would offer those unlucky fans refunds of triple the face value of their tickets.
