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Research and Ratings

The making of a ratings powerhouse

A CBS camerman watches the action at Super Bowl I, which was simulcast on NBC.
Photo by: CBS
There is much talk and speculation each year regarding the size of the Super Bowl audience. For example, last year’s game averaged 114.4 million viewers, a record, according to Nielsen. But the highest-rated championship game was XVI (1982), when the San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21, generating a 49.1 rating on CBS. And in 2013 (Super Bowl XLVII), a record 164.1 million viewers watched at least part of the Baltimore Ravens’ win over San Francisco.

Play-by-play announcers who have broadcast the most Super Bowls

Announcer (first Super Bowl telecast through most recent) Total no. of SB telecasts
Pat Summerall (1976-2002) 11
Al Michaels (1988-2015) 9
Dick Enberg (1981-98) 8
Curt Gowdy (1967-79) 7
   
Color commentators Total no. of SB telecasts
John Madden (1982-2009) 11
Phil Simms (1996-2016*) 8
Merlin Olsen (1979-86) 5
Pat Summerall (1968-74) 4
Troy Aikman (2005-14) 4
   
Trophy presentation Total no. of SB telecasts
Brent Musburger (1980-95) 7
Terry Bradshaw (1997-2011^) 6
Jim Nantz (2001-16*) 6

* Scheduled to handle duties at Super Bowl 50.
^ Terry Bradshaw was scheduled to be the presenter of the 2014 Vince Lombardi Trophy but left the day before Super Bowl XLVIII due to the death of his father. Michael Strahan was the presenter instead.
Compiled by SportsBusiness Journal research


The most consistent measurement of the game’s popularity is share, which is the percentage of households using televisions during the telecast that tuned in to the game. Ratings are based on the number of households with televisions tuned in to some or all of the telecast.

Noteworthy games:

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 21-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X (1976) in Miami generated a 78 share on CBS.

From 1968 through 1980, the Super Bowl generated at least a 66 share. But Super Bowl XV (1981) in New Orleans saw the Oakland Raiders upset the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10, and NBC receive a 63 share. It was the first time the game’s share had dipped below the two-thirds threshold.

In 1999, Fox’s second-ever Super Bowl broadcast, the Denver Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-19 in Miami, and the game tied a record-low 61 share and began a string of 11 straight Super Bowls that generated a share of 65 or less.

John Madden’s final Super Bowl broadcast came in 2009, Tampa, when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. The game drew a 42.0 rating on NBC.

Game Network(s) Rating Share   Game Network(s) Rating Share
I CBS, NBC 40.8 NA   XXVI CBS 40.3 61%
II CBS 36.8 68%   XXVII NBC 45.1 66%
III NBC 36.0 70%   XXVIII NBC 45.5 66%
IV CBS 39.4 69%   XXIX ABC 41.3 62%
V NBC 39.9 75%   XXX NBC 46.0 68%
VI CBS 44.2 74%   XXXI Fox 43.3 65%
VII NBC 42.7 72%   XXXII NBC 44.5 67%
VIII CBS 41.6 73%   XXXIII Fox 40.2 61%
IX NBC 42.4 72%   XXXIV ABC 43.3 63%
X CBS 42.3 78%   XXXV CBS 40.4 61%
XI NBC 44.4 73%   XXXVI Fox 40.4 61%
XII CBS 47.2 67%   XXXVII ABC 40.7 61%
XIII NBC 47.1 74%   XXXVIII CBS 41.4 63%
XIV CBS 46.3 67%   XXXIX Fox 41.1 62%
XV NBC 44.4 63%   XL ABC 41.6 62%
XVI CBS 49.1 73%   XLI CBS 42.6 64%
XVII NBC 48.6 69%   XLII Fox 43.2 65%
XVIII CBS 46.4 71%   XLIII NBC 42.0 64%
XIX ABC 46.4 63%   XLIV CBS 45.0 68%
XX NBC 48.3 70%   XLV Fox 46.0 68%
XXI CBS 45.8 66%   XLVI NBC 47.0 71%
XXII ABC 41.9 62%   XLVII CBS 46.4 69%
XXIII NBC 43.5 68%   XLVIII Fox 46.7 69%
XXIV CBS 39.0 63%   XLIX NBC 47.5 71%
XXV ABC 41.9 63%          

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