HIGHEST SUPER BOWL OVERNIGHT RATING EVER! PATRIOTS-SEAHAWKS SUPER BOWL XLIX THRILLER POSTS 49.7/72

Super Bowl XLIX Overnight Up 4% from Last Year & Up 3% from Prior Record

Boston Registered a 61.0/85, Best Super Bowl Overnight Ever in Boston

Host Market Phoenix Posts 55.6/82, Best Super Bowl Ever in Market

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Feb. 2, 2015 - Super Bowl XLIX, which featured the New England Patriots' thrilling 28-24 victory over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever, delivered the highest Super Bowl metered market rating in history with a 49.7/72 overnight rating/share on NBC, according to data released today by The Nielsen Company.

· The 49.7/72 is four percent higher than last year's game (47.6/70 for Super Bowl XLVIII on FOX, in which the Seahawks defeated the Broncos 43-8) and is three percent higher than the prior record (48.1/71 for Super Bowl XLVII on CBS; Ravens 34, 49ers 31).

TOP 5 SUPER BOWL OVERNIGHTS OF ALL TIME
1. 49.7/72 - Super Bowl XLIX; Patriots 28-Seahawks 24; NBC (Feb. 2015)
2. 48.1/71 - Super Bowl XLVII; Ravens 34-49ers 31; CBS (Feb. 2013)
T3. 47.9/71 - Super Bowl XLV; Packers 31-Steelers 25; FOX (Feb. 2011)
T3. 47.9/68 - Super Bowl XXI; Giants 39-Broncos 20; CBS (Jan. 1987)
5. 47.8/71 - Super Bowl XLVI; Giants 21-Patriots 17; NBC (Feb. 2012)

RATING GROWS THROUGHOUT THE GAME: The game rating topped a 50 in each half hour from 8 p.m. ET forward and peaked at a 53.5/74 from 9:45-10 p.m. ET as the Patriots became the first team to win the Super Bowl after trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter.

HALF HOURS (Times ET):
6:30-7 -- 44.6/68
7-7:30 -- 48.0/72
7:30-8 -- 49.7/73
8-8:30 -- 50.8/73
8:30-9 -- 50.3/71
9-9:30 -- 50.3/70
9:30-10 -- 52.4/72
10-10:15 -- 52.9/73

HALFTIME SHOW UP FROM LAST YEAR: The halftime performance by Katy Perry (8-8:30 p.m. ET) delivered a 50.8/73 overnight, five percent ahead of last year's 8-8:30 time period featuring Bruno Mars (48.6/71). (Note: Historical halftime ratings/viewership information will be available with fast nationals later today.)

BOSTON & HOST MARKET PHOENIX SET LOCAL MARKET RECORDS: The rating in Boston was the best ever for a Super Bowl in the market (61.0/85), topping the previous high of 56.7/81 for the N.Y. Giants-Patriots Super Bowl XLVI on NBC.

· The host market of Phoenix registered a 55.6/82 rating, the highest for a Super Bowl in the market, topping the prior Phoenix mark of 51.1 for Packers-Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in Feb. 2011.

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR SUPER BOWL XLIX:
1. Boston, 61.0/85
2. New Orleans, 55.7/72
3. Phoenix, 55.6/82
T4. Detroit, 55.0/71
T4. Norfolk, 55.0/76
6. Chicago, 54.9/72
7. Kansas City, 54.5/75
T8. Denver, 53.7/79
T8. Indianapolis, 53.7/74
10. Buffalo, 53.6/75

*Seattle tied for 17th with a 52.1/89

When Fast National data is available from Nielsen this afternoon, the viewership could approach last year's 112.2 million that watched Super Bowl XLVIII, the most-watched Super Bowl ever, and the largest television audience in U.S. history.

*Note, the "fast affiliate" data that is available later this morning does NOT reflect live audience for the Super Bowl across the country.

*Overnight ratings measure the top 56 U.S. metered markets.