SUPER BOWL XLIV is the most-watched SUPER BOWL ever with a record audience of 6.7 million viewers in Canada on CTV (6.025 million) and RDS (650,000) last night. Preliminary overnight data from BBM Canada confirms that the New Orleans Saints’ 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday is the second biggest audience for any broadcast on Canadian television since 1994.* Overall, an astonishing 16.64 million viewers – or one in two Canadians – tuned in to some or all of the broadcast on CTV or RDS.
Audience levels for SUPER BOWL XLIV on CTV and RDS peaked at 8 million viewers in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as the New Orleans Saints’ Tracy Porter returned a Peyton Manning interception for a touchdown, sealing the Saints victory. The game attracted nearly two million viewers alone in Toronto/Hamilton, Canada’s largest television market, and delivered an incredible 65 share among Men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.
The national audience for SUPER BOWL XLIV is more than 52% higher than last year’s NFL championship game that had an average audience of 4.3 million viewers.
The record audience comes as CTV and the NFL confirmed earlier today that they have extended their broadcast partnership for the next four years with the SUPER BOWL airing exclusively in Canada on CTV through to SUPER BOWL XLVIII.
“Last night’s overwhelming audience is a testament to what a cultural phenomenon the SUPER BOWL is every year,” said Rick Brace, President, Revenue, Business Planning and Sports, CTV Inc. “What a way to end a tremendous season of NFL football on CTV. We can’t wait to bring fans and advertisers all of the SUPER BOWL excitement again next year. ”
CTV’s extended SUPER BOWL XLIV coverage also had impressive audiences with SUPER BOWL XLIV KICK-OFF SHOW attracting 3.7 million viewers. CTV’s newest reality series, UNDERCOVER BOSS, premiered in the coveted post-SUPER BOWL timeslot to an average audience of 1.83 million viewers. Episode 2 airs next Sunday, February 14 at 9 p.m. ET on /A\.
SUPER BOWL XLIV caps off an incredibly successful season of NFL football on CTV –with the network setting new audience records throughout the regular season, playoffs and the SUPER BOWL.
Final SUPER BOWL XLIV audience numbers will be available in the coming weeks.
*CTV began archiving ratings data in 1994.
Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters
