TV Audience Sets a Record

A Super Bowl record of 143.6 million people watched all or part of Sunday’s game, CBS reported Monday, topping last year’s record of 139.9 million.

The average audience size during any given minute for Sunday’s game between New England and Carolina was 89.6 million, up from 88.6 million last year.

The preliminary national rating was a 41.3 with a 63 share of the audience. Those numbers reflect a 3% increase over the 40.7/61 for last year’s Super Bowl.

The final national rating will be available today.

In Los Angeles, the game got a 37.5/63, drawing an audience of 4.6 million.

Interestingly, neither Charlotte, N.C., or Boston had the highest rating. That distinction went to Kansas City with a 57.2/71, followed by Greensboro, N.C., 54.1/72, New Orleans, 53.0/70, and Boston, 52.2/78. Boston’s 78 share was the high.

Charlotte had the eighth-highest rating, 49.7, but had a 72 share.

-- Larry Stewart