NBC Sports' telecast of Super Bowl XXXII was the third-
most-watched TV program in history, as NBC estimates that
133.4 million people tuned in to all or part of the game.
Nielsen's overnight rating of 44.5/67, up 3% from last year,
makes it the 13th highest-rated Super Bowl in history.
Ratings for the game increased every half hour from 7:30pm
ET, culminating in a 50.4/70 for the final 30 minutes of the
game, marking the first half hour of a Super Bowl to receive
a 50 rating since the Bears-Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
Final national ratings will be available today (NBC).
NUMBERS: In N.Y., Kyle Pope reports that the ratings,
"which were slightly above Madison Avenue estimates, signal
a turnaround for the game." NBC's "3rd Rock from the Sun"
attracted 34.3 million viewers -- the largest audience in
the show's three-year history (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/27).
NEWSDAY's Steve Zipay: "Given the decline in NFL ratings and
overall erosion of broadcast TV viewership and the downfall
of ... the proven ratings-grabber Cowboys, the increase is
worthy of applause" (NEWSDAY, 1/27). NBC's post-game show
scored a 32.9/48 and a special "Tonight Show" earned a
6.2/20 (Stephen Battaglio, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 1/27).
BROADCASTERS MOVE ON: Cris Collinsworth will join the
"Fox NFL Sunday" pre-game show next season. Collinsworth's
deal is for five years and "averages about" $1M per year.
Ronnie Lott will move to game broadcasts (Rudy Martzke, USA
TODAY, 1/27). Greg Gumbel has signed as CBS' top NFL play-
by-play man. His five-year deal is "reportedly for an
average of" $1.75M per year (Richard Katz, VARIETY, 1/26).
