Super Bowl ratings look to be even higher than last year’s record numbers

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Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLV on Sunday received better ratings than last year’s record-setting broadcast of the NFL’s biggest game, according to the Nielsen Co.’s overnight preliminary measurement of big cities.

While Nielsen still doesn’t have the actual numbers from Sunday, an overnight measurement of the 56 largest media markets shows that this year’s Super Bowl had a 3% higher rating than last year’s game, which was the most-watched program in U.S. TV history (106.5 million viewers).

In addition, the Green Bay Packers’ 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday received a 71 share, meaning that more than two-thirds of the televisions being watched in the country at that time were watching the game.

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.