Would a New England/Dallas Super Bowl become the highest rated program of all time?

[dalej42]

Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-watched_television_episodes#Top_29_network_primetime_telecasts_of_all_time) is a list of the top rated television programs of all time.

Would a Dallas vs New England Super Bowl top the list? There are some reasons to think it might. New England would be going for their perfect season. Both Dallas and New England have a national following. Both Dallas and New England have people who hate them. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=451003)

However, I don't quite think it would be the Mash series finale. We live in a 200 channel world. In the 3 network world, no one would program anything worth watching against major events such as the Super Bowl. Also, the demographics have changed. The huge Hispanic population isn't following NFL football very avidly.

I'd say the broadcast would easily beat Super Bowl XLI and set a record which will be very hard to beat for any Super Bowl in the future.

[Exapno Mapcase]

Your own list shows that the Super Bowls have consistently garnered 40-42% of the audience in the 2000s. 44.4% is needed even to make it into the top 29.

My WAG is that there is less than a 50% chance that a New England/Dallas Super Bowl would make it into the top tier and an absolutely flat 0.00% chance it would be in the top 10, let alone number one.

[Wee Bairn]

I don't think so - too many TV channels nowadays. I don't think any program of any type in the cable era could do it.

[gonzomax]

I buy it. The perfect season and the stinky Cowboys. I watch,

[Omniscient]

Not sure about the answer to the OP, but I can guarantee beyond any shadow of a doubt that a Green Bay - New England Super Bowl would draw a much larger audience than the Cowboys - Pats would. Non-football fans love Favre and the Packers, little old ladies in Tampa would be circling it on their calendars. Lots of people loathe Dallas and New England so much that they'll probably be so turned off by that matchup they'll go see a movie.

[some white dude]

No way. With cable and satellite there are simply too many other options. Look at the Super Bowls near the top. The '96 SB is the only one in the 90s to crack the top 20.

[DSYoungEsq]

Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-watched_television_episodes#Top_29_network_primetime_telecasts_of_all_time) is a list of the top rated television programs of all time.

Would a Dallas vs New England Super Bowl top the list? There are some reasons to think it might. New England would be going for their perfect season. Both Dallas and New England have a national following. Both Dallas and New England have people who hate them. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=451003)

However, I don't quite think it would be the Mash series finale. We live in a 200 channel world. In the 3 network world, no one would program anything worth watching against major events such as the Super Bowl. Also, the demographics have changed. The huge Hispanic population isn't following NFL football very avidly.

I'd say the broadcast would easily beat Super Bowl XLI and set a record which will be very hard to beat for any Super Bowl in the future.If you mean, will the Super Bowl of 2008 end up at the top of the list of %age of households, then there is no way. If you look at that list, no show since 1998 is on it. There simply are too many households now which either don't watch TV, or which watch something other than what the rest of the herd is watching.

Now, if you mean ranked by share of those households watching, then that's conceivable, if still a stretch. The last several Super Bowls have managed a share of between 60% and 65%. But Super Bowls have garnered shares of over 70% before, though, again, that was before you could watch 200+ channels.

[Mr Shine]

I'm very surprised to see Man walking on the moon not in the top 29 most watched USTV events.

[Mr Shine]

I'm very surprised to see Man walking on the moon not in the top 29 most watched USTV events.

Never mind, just noticed it's sorted by share rather than number of people watching. I assume most (all?) of the major networks were showing the same thing, so going by share none would have an advantage.

[blondebear]

One thing about the Superbowl this time around: they have a great band playing at halftime. I doubt you'll see any wardrobe or silhouette-related incidents with Petty and The Heartbreakers.

[JohnT]

I'm very surprised to see Man walking on the moon not in the top 29 most watched USTV events.

I don't think records like that are released (I do think they're kept, though. Why not?) It's not a bad bet to guess that the most-watched TV event since 1998 was 9/11/2001 coverage but you don't see that on the list either. I didn't see Diana's funeral covered in the ratings either, though it was a major TV event.

[Telemark]

Well, that ain't gonna happen.

[Fiveyearlurker]

One thing about the Superbowl this time around: they have a great band playing at halftime. I doubt you'll see any wardrobe or silhouette-related incidents with Petty and The Heartbreakers.

I'd pay to see that.

(sorry, I have an unnatural and uncharacteristically homosexual attraction toward Mr. Petty)

[Gorsnak]

It's not a bad bet to guess that the most-watched TV event since 1998 was 9/11/2001 coverage but you don't see that on the list either.
Well sure, but it was watched on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. The all-news channels will have pulled higher than normal ratings that day, but no one broadcast will have been anything remarkable in terms of number of viewers.

[zamboniracer]

One thing about the Superbowl this time around: they have a great band playing at halftime. I doubt you'll see any wardrobe or silhouette-related incidents with Petty and The Heartbreakers.

That's how I pick what concert the to go to: the one that's attached to a football game. :rolleyes: :D

[blondebear]

Point taken. But the talent lineup over the years is pretty impressive.

[PunditLisa]

I guess we'll never know. How big a draw is Ely Manning? :D

[jackelope]

I'd think Patriots-Packers would be the best possible TV draw (given how the playoffs have gone so far). You'd have the Patriots going for the perfect season, plus the possibility of seeing Brett Favre's final game.

[gonzomax]

The geezer fans will be watching next week. Can Green Bat do it again. They looked real good yesterday. The weather could be ugly. A throw back game with a throw back quarterback. The stars are aligned.

[zamboniracer]

I'd think Patriots-Packers would be the best possible TV draw (given how the playoffs have gone so far). You'd have the Patriots going for the perfect season, plus the possibility of seeing Brett Favre's final game.


That settles it. Here's hoping the Chargers beat NE next week, just to hear the network suits whine about how their ratings will suffer. From an NFC standpoint, both the Giants and Packers are good attractions.

[DSYoungEsq]

I guess we'll never know. How big a draw is Ely Manning? :D
Who knows? But Peyton's brother, Eli, might draw a look or two. :p

[FlightlessBird]

The weather could be ugly.In Arizona?

Or did you mean in the Championship game? Actually I think the weather may be worse in NE next weekend than in GB.

[cmkeller]

The Super Bowl might benefit from the writers' strike - in the past, some networks have tried to compete for women's eyes during the Super Bowl, but this year, what would they offer?

[EddyTeddyFreddy]

In Arizona?

Or did you mean in the Championship game? Actually I think the weather may be worse in NE next weekend than in GB.
Likely to be in the single digits with a wind.

[zamboniracer]

The Super Bowl might benefit from the writers' strike - in the past, some networks have tried to compete for women's eyes during the Super Bowl, but this year, what would they offer?

All Oprah, all the time.

[Exapno Mapcase]

Your own list shows that the Super Bowls have consistently garnered 40-42% of the audience in the 2000s. 44.4% is needed even to make it into the top 29.

My WAG is that there is less than a 50% chance that a New England/Dallas Super Bowl would make it into the top tier and an absolutely flat 0.00% chance it would be in the top 10, let alone number one.
Not too bad a prediction. Preliminary overnight ratings (http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=d5361000-fd82-467c-8111-4fe60c178c2d) say that the Super Bowl just squeaked into the top 29 at a 44.7 rating and 67 share. That's puts it very close to Super Bowl XXXII, from ten years ago.

Actual number of viewers is expected to be huge, because the number of people and sets in the U.S. keep rising every year.