Super ratings for Sunday's big game

Paul J. Gough

Feb 4, 2008, ET

UPDATED 10:50 a.m. PT Monday, Feb. 4

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NEW YORK -- The New York Giants' upset of the undefeated New England Patriots was the most watched Super Bowl telecast ever.

More than 97.5 million viewers watched the game on Fox, Nielsen Media Research said Monday. That's up 5% compared to last year's Indianapolis Colts-Chicago Bears game, which averaged 93.2 million viewers. It's also higher than Super Bowl XXX on Jan. 28, 1996, when the Dallas Cowboys-Pittsburgh Steelers matchup averaged 94.1 million viewers.

It's also probably the second-most watched telecast of all time, behind the 105.9 million viewers who tuned in on Feb. 28, 1983, for the last episode of "M*A*S*H."

Last night's game peaked between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. with 105.7 million viewers.

Sunday's Super Bowl XLII also delivered the highest household rating -- 43.2/65 -- since Super Bowl XXXIV (St. Louis-Tennessee) delivered a 43.3 rating on ABC on Jan. 30, 2000.

Super ratings for Sunday's big game

Paul J. Gough

Feb 4, 2008, ET