Based on very preliminary numbers, CBS’ coverage of the Baltimore Ravens’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers was the highest-rated Super Bowl telecast in history.
Among the Nielsen metered markets that provide the first wave of ratings data, the Super Bowl averaged an overnight household rating/share of 48.1/71, which is up 1 percent over last year’s Giants-Patriots game (47.8/71), and above the highest-rated metered market Super Bowl ever, the 2011 Packers-Steelers game (47.9/71).
Unsurprisingly, the top market for the game was Baltimore, where 59.6 percent of all televisions – and 83 percent of all televisions that were on at the time – were tuned into the big game. San Francisco didn’t make the top 10, but Super Bowl host city New Orleans was second, with 57.1 percent of all televisions, and 77 percent of all TVs that were on.