According to preliminary results from Nielsen, the telecast of Super Bowl 50 on CBS, which ran from 6:39 ET p.m. to 10:21 ET p.m., drew an average audience of about 111.9 million viewers who tuned in to watch the Denver Broncos battle the Carolina Panthers.
The golden anniversary game, in which the Peyton Manning-led Broncos defeated the Panthers 24 to 10, was viewed in an average of 54.3 million homes and had a preliminary 46.6 U.S. household rating.
Preliminary estimates also found that 72% of U.S. homes with televisions in use were tuned into the Super Bowl 50 telecast—the highest household share since Super Bowl XVI in 1982.
According to preliminary estimates for Super Bowl 50 simulcast on ESPN Deportes, 483,735 people (P2+) tuned in.
In regard to the social nature of the big game, Nielsen Social noted that 16.9 million Tweets were sent by 3.8 million unique authors about “Super Bowl 50” on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. Included within this total Twitter activity for the TV event, 4.6 million Tweets were sent by 1.4 unique authors about the advertisements that aired in the live TV event.
Additionally, the most-Tweeted minute during the TV event was at 8:44 p.m. ET, when 162,000 Tweets were sent in the minute following the Super Bowl halftime show.
HISTORICAL SUPER BOWL VIEWERSHIP
| Super Bowl | Date | Network | Household Rating | Household Share | Avg. Number of Homes (000) | Avg. Number of Persons 2+ (000) | NFC Champion | AFC Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XLIX | Feb. 1, 2015 | NBC | 47.5 | 71 | 55,341 | 114,442 | Seattle | New England |
| XLVIII | Feb. 2, 2014 | FOX | 46.7 | 69 | 54,134 | 112,191 | Seattle | Denver |
| XLVII | Feb. 3, 2013 | CBS | 46.4 | 69 | 52,998 | 108,693 | San Francisco | Baltimore |
| XLVI | Feb 5, 2012* | NBC | 47.1 | 71 | 53,910 | 111,346 | New York Giants | New England |
| XLV | Feb 6 2011* | FOX | 46.0 | 69 | 53,282 | 111,041 | Green Bay | Pittsburgh |
| XLIV | Feb 7 2010* | CBS | 45.0 | 68 | 51,728 | 106,476 | New Orleans | Indianapolis |
| XLIII | Feb 1 2009* | NBC | 42.0 | 64 | 48,139 | 98,732 | Arizona | Pittsburgh |
| XLII | Feb 3 2008* | FOX | 43.1 | 65 | 48,665 | 97,448 | New York Giants | New England |
| XLI | Feb 4 2007 * | CBS | 42.6 | 64 | 47,505 | 93,184 | Chicago | Indianapolis |
| XL | Feb 5 2006 * | ABC | 41.6 | 62 | 45,867 | 90,745 | Seattle | Pittsburgh |
| XXXIX | Feb 6 2005 | FOX | 41.1 | 62 | 45,081 | 86,072 | Philadelphia | New England |
| XXXVIII | Feb 1 2004 | CBS | 41.4 | 63 | 44,908 | 89,795 | Carolina | New England |
| XXXVII | Jan 26 2003 | ABC | 40.7 | 61 | 43,433 | 88,637 | Tampa Bay | Oakland |
| XXXVI | Feb 3 2002 | FOX | 40.4 | 61 | 42,664 | 86,801 | St. Louis | New England |
| XXXV | Jan 28 2001 | CBS | 40.4 | 61 | 41,270 | 84,335 | NY Giants | Baltimore |
| XXXIV | Jan 30 2000 | ABC | 43.3 | 63 | 43,618 | 88,465 | St. Louis | Tennessee |
| XXXIII | Jan 31 1999 | FOX | 40.2 | 61 | 39,992 | 83,720 | Atlanta | Denver |
| XXXII | Jan 25 1998 | NBC | 44.5 | 67 | 43,630 | 90,000 | Green Bay | Denver |
| XXXI | Jan 26 1997 | FOX | 43.3 | 65 | 42,000 | 87,870 | Green Bay | New England |
| XXX | Jan 28 1996 | NBC | 46.0 | 68 | 44,145 | 94,080 | Dallas | Pittsburgh |
| XXIX | Jan 29 1995 | ABC | 41.3 | 62 | 39,400 | 83,420 | San Francisco | San Diego |
| XXVIII | Jan 30 1994 | NBC | 45.5 | 66 | 42,860 | 90,000 | Dallas | Buffalo |
| XXVII | Jan 31 1993 | NBC | 45.1 | 66 | 41,990 | 90,990 | Dallas | Buffalo |
| XXVI | Jan 26 1992 | CBS | 40.3 | 61 | 37,120 | 79,590 | Washington | Buffalo |
| XXV | Jan 27 1991 | ABC | 41.9 | 63 | 39,010 | 79,510 | NY Giants | Buffalo |
| XXIV | Jan 28 1990 | CBS | 39.0 | 63 | 35,920 | 73,852 | San Francisco | Denver |
| XXIII | Jan 22 1989 | NBC | 43.5 | 68 | 39,320 | 81,590 | San Francisco | Cincinnati |
| XXII | Jan 31 1988 | ABC | 41.9 | 62 | 37,120 | 80,140 | Washington | Denver |
| XXI | Jan 25 1987 | CBS | 45.8 | 66 | 40,030 | 87,190 | NY Giants | Denver |
| XX | Jan 26 1986 | NBC | 48.3 | 70 | 41,490 | 92,570 | Chicago | New England |
| XIX | Jan 20 1985 | ABC | 46.4 | 63 | 39,390 | 85,530 | San Francisco | Miami |
| XVIII | Jan 22 1984 | CBS | 46.4 | 71 | 38,880 | 77,620 | Washington | LA Raiders |
| XVII | Jan 30 1983 | NBC | 48.6 | 69 | 40,480 | 81,770 | Washington | Miami |
| XVI | Jan 24 1982 | CBS | 49.1 | 73 | 40,020 | 85,240 | San Francisco | Cincinnati |
| XV | Jan 25 1981 | NBC | 44.4 | 63 | 34,540 | 68,290 | Philadelphia | Oakland |
| XIV | Jan 20 1980 | CBS | 46.3 | 67 | 35,330 | 76,240 | LA Rams | Pittsburgh |
| XIII | Jan 21 1979 | NBC | 47.1 | 74 | 35,090 | 74,740 | Dallas | Pittsburgh |
| XII | Jan 15 1978 | CBS | 47.2 | 67 | 34,410 | 78,940 | Dallas | Denver |
| XI | Jan 09 1977 | NBC | 44.4 | 73 | 31,610 | 62,050 | Minnesota | Oakland |
| X | Jan 18 1976 | CBS | 42.3 | 78 | 29,440 | 57,710 | Dallas | Pittsburgh |
| IX | Jan 12 1975 | NBC | 42.4 | 72 | 29,040 | 56,050 | Minnesota | Pittsburgh |
| VIII | Jan 13 1974 | CBS | 41.6 | 73 | 27,540 | 51,700 | Minnesota | Miami |
| VII | Jan 14 1973 | NBC | 42.7 | 72 | 27,670 | 53,320 | Washington | Miami |
| VI | Jan 16 1972 | CBS | 44.2 | 74 | 27,450 | 56,640 | Dallas | Miami |
| V | Jan 17 1971 | NBC | 39.9 | 75 | 23,980 | 46,040 | Dallas | Baltimore |
| IV | Jan 11 1970 | CBS | 39.4 | 69 | 23,050 | 44,270 | Minnesota | Kansas City |
| III | Jan 12 1969 | NBC | 36.0 | 70 | 20,520 | 41,660 | Baltimore | NY Jets |
| II | Jan 14 1968 | CBS | 36.8 | 68 | 20,610 | 39,120 | Green Bay | Oakland |
| I | Jan 15 1967 | CBS | 22.6 | 43 | 12,410 | 26,750 | Green Bay | Kansas City |
| I | Jan 15 1967 | NBC | 18.5 | 36 | 10,160 | 24,430 | Green Bay | Kansas City |
| Source: Nielsen |
