The Super Bowl has struck again. The final Nielsen ratings have been released and Sunday’s big game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks not surprisingly drew a huge audience. Its 114.4 million viewers makes it the most-watched single TV program of all time in the United States, topping last year’s Super Bowl by more than two million viewers.
The February 1983 broadcast of “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” is now the seventh most-watched program behind six recent Super Bowls:
Most-Watched Television Broadcasts in U.S. History
## | Program | Year | Average Viewers |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Super Bowl XLIX | 2015 | 114,442,000 |
2. | Super Bowl XLVIII | 2014 | 112,191,000 |
3. | Super Bowl XLVI | 2012 | 111,346,000 |
4. | Super Bowl XLV | 2011 | 111,010,000 |
5. | Super Bowl XLVII | 2013 | 108,693,000 |
6. | Super Bowl XLIV | 2010 | 106,476,000 |
7. | “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” | 1983 | 105,970,000 |
Before M*A*S*H fans get too upset, population growth alone suggests that every Super Bowl from here on out will draw more viewers than “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.” And it remains the highest-RATED single television broadcast by a wide margin with a 60.2 Nielsen rating. By comparison, Super Bowl XLIX could only muster a 47.5 rating, making it the fourth highest-rated Super Bowl but only the ninth highest-rated program of all time.
I’ve revised my Goodbye, Farewell and Amen Ratings Analysis with information about Super Bowl XLIX.
We’re all out of cornflakes. F.U.
It took me three hours to figure out F.U. was Felix Unger!
I wonder if M*A*S*H still isn’t technically the most “watched” program in TV history. How many of the “viewers” of the various Super Bowls actually watch it?
When I attended a Super Bowl party a few years ago, I was rather amused by the few people who actually looked at the TV during the game. I personally don’t find this especially surprising given the fact that most Super Bowls are dreadfully boring affairs in terms of engaging television.
I agree. I’ve said it every year – MASH vs. Super Bowls = apples vs. oranges.
To me, and I’m sure others will tend to agree, it’ll always be the most-watched scripted program ever.
In 1983 the US population was 233M, today it’s 316M. Almost 47% of the US population watched the last episode of MASH, the SB is 36%, a huge difference. Based on percentages if the US population was 316M in 1983 viewership would be around 150M
Want to see mash back on tv i am a vietnam vet i think it ia one of the best on tv