The close game, big-market teams and huge buzz surrounding last night’s Super Bowl propelled Fox to a new record for the big game.

The New York Giants’ 17-14 victory over the favored New England Patriots from approximately 6:30 to 10 p.m. drew 97.5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen, 3.4 million more than the old record holder, the 1996 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers.

That was up 5 percent from the 93.2 million who tuned in for the Indianapolis Colts’ victory over the Chicago Bears last year, now the third-most-watched game in Super Bowl history.

Last night’s game earned a 43.2 household rating and 65 share, according to fast national ratings, the best since the 43.3/67 earned by the 2000 matchup between the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans, another game that came down to the final minute.

Among adults 18-49, the game averaged a 37.6 rating, the best since the 2000 game on ABC and the second-highest-rated telecast ever on Fox behind Super Bowl XXXI in 1997.

The game becomes not only the most-watched in Super Bowl history but also the second-most-watched program ever on television, trailing only the 105.9 million who watched the final episode of “M*A*S*H” in 1983.

Not surprisingly, Fox led the night among viewers 18-49 with a 31.4 average overnight rating and a 62 share. ABC was second at 1.2/2, Univision third at 1.1/2, CBS and NBC tied for fourth at 0.8/2, and CW sixth at 0.2/0.
 
At 7 p.m. Fox led with a 35.5 rating for its continuing coverage of the Super Bowl, which began a half hour earlier, with Univision second with a 1.0 average for “Hora Pico” and “Chavo Animado.” ABC was third with a 0.8 for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” NBC fourth with a 0.5 for a repeat of “The Biggest Loser,” CBS fifth with a 0.4 for “CBS Reports” and CW sixth with a 0.1 average for “CW Now” (0.1) and a repeat of “Aliens in America.”
 
Fox was first again at 8 p.m. with a 34.1 for the Super Bowl, while ABC moved to second with a 1.1 for a repeat of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Univision was third with a 1.0 for its first of three hours of “5 Magnificos,” CBS fourth with a 0.8 for “60 Minutes,” NBC fifth with a 0.7 for another hour of “Loser” and CW sixth with a 0.2 for “Life is Wild.”
 
At 9 p.m. Fox was first with a 34.8 for more Super Bowl, followed by Univision and ABC both at 1.1, Univision for another hour of “Magnificos” and ABC for the first hour of the movie “Meet the Fockers.” NBC was fourth with a 0.9 for more “Loser,” CBS fifth with a 0.7 for a repeat of “Shark” and CW sixth with a 0.2 for a repeat of “Crowned.”
 
Fox was first again at 10 p.m. with a 21.3 for the end of the game and the beginning of “House,” with ABC second with a 1.7 for the second half of its movie. CBS and Univision tied for third at 1.3, CBS for a repeat of “Cold Case” and Univision for its last hour of “Magnificos,” with NBC fifth with a 1.2 for yet another hour of “Loser.”
 
Among households, Fox was first for the night with a 36.5 average overnight rating and a 55 share. CBS was second at 3.2/5, ABC third at 2.4/4, NBC fourth at 1.5/2, Univision fifth at 1.2/2 and CW sixth at 0.6/1.