Just wanna put this out there before the flood of numbers and spin: The best way to compare Super Bowl audience size is by household ratings, i.e., the percent of TV homes which watched, and not total viewers.
The reason: Population grows! Ratings are static
The reason: Population grows! Ratings are static
Nets of late love to put out releases that say "A Record 110 Million People Watched SB," which...yes, that could be true.
But there are 330M+ potential US viewers today. In 1980, just 220M.
110M in 2021 is 1/3 of America. 109M in 1980 is half.
1980 SB would be much bigger!
But there are 330M+ potential US viewers today. In 1980, just 220M.
110M in 2021 is 1/3 of America. 109M in 1980 is half.
1980 SB would be much bigger!
(these are hypothetical numbers, not actual)
Here's a good example:
The 2018 SB drew 103.4M viewers.
The 2000 SB had 88.5M viewers
But the 2018 game notched a 43.1 rating. 2000? A 43.3 rating. It was a tick above 2018, despite what the total viewer number would suggest.
The 2018 SB drew 103.4M viewers.
The 2000 SB had 88.5M viewers
But the 2018 game notched a 43.1 rating. 2000? A 43.3 rating. It was a tick above 2018, despite what the total viewer number would suggest.
Anyway, total viewers is a fine metric for comparing audience size over the past 3-5 years. And it's perhaps a better way of capturing streaming viewers and out of home viewership. But for historical context, you should look at HH ratings.
That is all.
That is all.
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