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Super Bowl Hits Ratings Record

Match-up pulls a record 97.5 million viewers

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 4, 2008 7:40 PM CST
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(Newser) – Super Bowl advertisers scored big last night as the Giants-Patriots match-up pulled a record 97.5 million viewers, besting the 1996 high of 94.1 million. "You could argue this might have been a perfect game from an advertising perspective,'' said a marketing analyst—who noted that the game's close score and slow pace "really put the focus on the commercials," Bloomberg reports.

Roughly 65% of households that had TVs on were tuned in to the game on Fox, which charged about $2.7 million per 30-second spot. The audience topped at 105.7 million viewers between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern Time, just short of the all-time telecast record of 106 million—held by the 1983 finale of "M*A*S*H".

New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress (17) celebrates after scoring the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Giants' 17-14 win over the New England Patriots during the Super Bowl XLII football game at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/David Duprey)
New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress (17) celebrates after scoring the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Giants' 17-14 win over the New England Patriots during the Super Bowl XLII football...   (Associated Press)
New York Giants players hold up the Vince Lombardi trophy after the Giants beat the New England Patriots 17-14 to win the Super Bowl XLII football game in Glendale, Ariz, on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
New York Giants players hold up the Vince Lombardi trophy after the Giants beat the New England Patriots 17-14 to win the Super Bowl XLII football game in Glendale, Ariz, on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. (AP...   (Associated Press)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning holds the trophy for Most Valuable Player during a news conference on Monday, Feb. 4, 2008 in Phoenix. The Giants won the Super Bowl XLII football game by defeating the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning holds the trophy for Most Valuable Player during a news conference on Monday, Feb. 4, 2008 in Phoenix. The Giants won the Super Bowl XLII football game by defeating...   (Associated Press)
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