Saints vs. Colts Super Bowl Scores Title of Most Watched Telecast Ever
Super Bowl XLIV was watched by 51.7 million households.
Feb. 8, 2010 -- The Saints beat the Colts, and the Super Bowl they played beat out every other telecast in history to become the most-watched TV program of all time.
According to The Nielsen Company, Super Bowl XLIV was viewed in 51.7 million households and attracted an average audience of 106.5 million U.S. viewers. The game between New Orleans and Indianapolis scored more viewers than the previously-most-watched TV program ever, the 1983 finale of "M*A*S*H."
It should be noted that while Sunday's Super Bowl broke the record for most watched program of all time, it didn't beat "M*A*S*H's" record of highest-rated program of all time. 60.2 percent of U.S. households watched M*A*S*H in 1983, compared with Super Bowl XLIV's 45 percent. 1977's broadcast of "Roots, Part VIII" (ABC) and 1976's broadcast of "Gone With the Wind" (NBC) also beat the latest Super Bowl in terms of ratings, though not the number of viewers.
What other telecasts rank among the top 10 viewed programs in American TV history? Check out the list below, courtesy of the Nielsen Company: