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Super Bowl 50 Draws 111.9 Million TV Viewers, 16.9 Million Tweets

3 minute read | February 2016

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

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