Final numbers:
Super Bowl pulls 111 million
Fox broadcast beats last year's record audience
By Toni Fitzgerald
Feb 8, 2011
It's official: Yesterday's Super Bowl was the most-watched program in television history, by a surprisingly large margin.
The game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers averaged 111 million total viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen, surpassing the old record of 106.5 million set by CBS's Super Bowl last year by 4 percent.
The game became the fourth straight to set a Super Bowl record, dating back to the 2008 game. It pushed the longtime record holder for most-watched show, the "M*A*S*H" series finale in 1983 that drew 106 million, down to No. 3 all time.
The Super Bowl audience has risen by 13.5 million viewers in the past three years, dating back to Fox's last broadcast, which averaged 97.5 million.
Overall Super Bowl viewership has increased for six straight years.
The game also tied for the highest-rated Super Bowl since 1986, averaging a 46.0 rating and 60 share among households. The '86 game between the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots averaged 48.3/70.
In a poll posted on Media Life last week, media buyers and planners had predicted the record.
It's been a huge year for football generally, with regular-season ratings well up over last year and the wild card and divisional playoffs setting viewership records.
The two teams involved, the Packers and the Steelers, also have passionate followings and are among the most accomplished franchises in NFL history.
Plus the crummy weather probably kept some people inside over the weekend, looking for something to watch.
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