SB XLIV Most Watched TV Program In History

The series finale of M*A*S*H held the record of most viewers for a TV show for 27 years before Super Bowl XLIV surpassed it. With 106.5 million viewers the Colts vs Saints Super Bowl became the highest rated program of all time. Last year’s game between the Cardinals and Steelers had set the record for a Super Bowl with 98.7 million having watched so it was a very significant increase over that. Back in 1983 when M*A*S*H aired its historic finale there were 83 million TV equipped homes compared to 115 million now and as the population continues to rise the new record has the potential to be broken in the coming years.

The show that got the post Super Bowl airing this year was the premiere of Undercover Boss. Its ratings were the highest for a program following the Super Bowl since 2001 pulling in 38.6 million viewers. Though it didn’t feel like the traditional show that would be on after the game the reaction to it has been overwhelmingly positive. That bodes well for the future of the reality show that has executives going to work on the front lines of their companies and then instituting changes based on their experiences.