CBS SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF SUPER BOWL XLIV SCORES HIGHEST RATING IN 23 YEARS

CBS Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl XLIV featuring the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS’ 31-17 win over the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS on Sunday, Feb. 7 (6:30-9:45 PM, ET), earned an average overnight household rating/share of 46.4/68, the highest-rated Super Bowl in the metered markets in 23 years (1/25/87; 47.8/68; CBS Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl XXI Phil Simms-led New York Giants’ win over Denver).This year’s 46.4/68 is up +10% from last year’s 42.1/65 (Pittsburgh-Arizona) in the metered markets.

The Super Bowl XLIV rating/share peaked at 50.6/71 from 9:30-9:45 PM, ET. Following is a breakdown of the ratings by half-hours:

(All times ET)

6:30-7:00 41.5/65 8:30-9:00 48.0/69

7:00-7:30 45.0/69 9:00-9:30 49.8/70

7:30-8:00 46.3/69 9:30-9:45 50.6/71

8:00-8:30 45.3/67

Top 10 Rated in the Metered Markets

1. New Orleans 56.3/82 6. Dayton, Ohio 53.7/73

2. Washington, D.C. 56.0/73 7. Norfolk, Va. 53.1/72

3. Nashville 54.4/73 8. Knoxville, Tenn. 52.0/65

4. Indianapolis 54.2/80 T9. West Palm Bch, Fla. 51.8/69

5. Columbus, Ohio 54.0/74 T9. Pittsburgh 51.8/67

* * *

CBS’s premiere of UNDERCOVER BOSS averaged a 20.3/33, the highest post-Super Bowl lead-out since 2006 (ABC; Grey’s Anatomy).