The total audience in the US for this year’s Super Bowl was closer to between 135 million and 140 million people, according to a Nielsen study commissioned by the National Football League (NFL).
The NFL originally reported that its champion-crowning fixture, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers earlier this month, had drawn a viewership of more than 102 million across broadcast partner Fox Sports’ television and digital platforms.
However, the Nielsen survey, seen by Sports Business Journal, found that the Super Bowl averaged 35 to 40 per cent more viewers per household than the regular season and playoffs, resulting in a significantly higher overall audience for the season-ending game than originally touted.
The NFL said one of the primary reasons for the gulf between the original audience figure and the one reported in the study is that Nielsen’s survey more accurately counts the number of people who attended viewing parties to watch the game.
In any case, the viewing figures for the Super Bowl capped a positive year for the NFL from a TV ratings perspective. The league recorded a five per cent increase in viewership for the 2019 regular season, roping in an average audience of 16.5 million viewers per game. Those encouraging audience figures continued into the post-season, with both wild card weekend and the divisional round recording significant increases in viewership.
The total audience in the US for this year’s Super Bowl was closer to between 135 million and 140 million people, according to a Nielsen study commissioned by the National Football League (NFL).
The NFL originally reported that its champion-crowning fixture, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers earlier this month, had drawn a viewership of more than 102 million across broadcast partner Fox Sports’ television and digital platforms.
However, the Nielsen survey, seen by Sports Business Journal, found that the Super Bowl averaged 35 to 40 per cent more viewers per household than the regular season and playoffs, resulting in a significantly higher overall audience for the season-ending game than originally touted.
The NFL said one of the primary reasons for the gulf between the original audience figure and the one reported in the study is that Nielsen’s survey more accurately counts the number of people who attended viewing parties to watch the game.
In any case, the viewing figures for the Super Bowl capped a positive year for the NFL from a TV ratings perspective. The league recorded a five per cent increase in viewership for the 2019 regular season, roping in an average audience of 16.5 million viewers per game. Those encouraging audience figures continued into the post-season, with both wild card weekend and the divisional round recording significant increases in viewership.
Getty Images
