National TV numbers mirror '01 showing

Inside the Numbers The national TV numbers for the past 10 years Year  Net.  R  S  1996  NBC  46.1  72  1994  NBC  45.4  66  1993  NBC  45.1  66  1998  NBC  44.5  67  1997  FOX  43.3  65  2000  ABC  43.2  62  1995  ABC  41.3  63  2002   FOX   40.4   61   2001  CBS  40.4  61  1999  FOX  40.2  61   R -- Rating represents percentage of televisions tuned in to a program. S -- Share is percentage of televisions on at the time that watched.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Apparently, a tight game, thrilling finish and major upset don't guarantee a Super Bowl ratings bonanza. Not that FOX is complaining.

The network's telecast of the New England Patriots' 20-17 victory against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday night registered exactly the same numbers as last year's game: a 40.4 national rating and 61 share.

That means an average of 40.4 percent of the country's TV homes were watching at any given moment, and 61 percent of in-use televisions were tuned to the game.

Those figures match those for the 2001 game, when the Baltimore Ravens routed the New York Giants 34-7 on CBS.

An estimated 131.7 million people (about 500,000 more than last year) watched at least part of Sunday night's game, the fifth-highest total for a program -- sports or otherwise -- in television history. The top 10 shows on that list are all Super Bowls.

In the last 30 years, only the 1999 (40.2 on FOX) and 1992 (40.3 on CBS) Super Bowls drew lower ratings, but the proliferation of cable and the Internet have dramatically stratified the TV audience.

The 2000 Super Bowl drew a 43.2 rating on ABC.

Viewership was high throughout FOX's broadcast Sunday, including a 38.3 rating for a halftime show featuring Irish rock band U2. That's nearly seven times the 5.6 rating NBC got for its attempt at halftime counterprogramming, a special edition of Fear Factor featuring scantily clad Playboy playmates doing stunts such as walking a tightrope between two buildings.

The audience -- which advertisers paid FOX an average of just under $2 million per 30-second commercial to reach -- increased every 30 minutes from kickoff until a slight dip at the start of halftime. The numbers then increased again straight through to the final play, Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal. The rating peaked with 43.6 percent of the country watching from 9:30 to 10 p.m. EST.

Not surprisingly, Boston was the major market with the largest rating, 56.1, followed by St. Louis at 52.4. The rating in Chicago was 45.1, New York 37.6, and Los Angeles 36.4.

The show that followed the game on FOX, Malcolm in the Middle, drew an 11.5 rating and 21 share -- a 70 percent jump from its season average.

Last year, the season premiere of Survivor, which followed the CBS coverage of the Super Bowl drew a 23.6 rating and 38 share.

 

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