Super Bowl Attracted Largest American TV Audience Ever

NFL News - February 8th, 2010 - Written by John Ritter

The news just keeps getting better for the New Orleans Saints. Not only did the team complete an improbable transformation, not only did Tracy Porter beat Peyton Manning at his own mind game, but almost 1/3 of the country saw it happen.

Super Bowl 45 was the most-watched program in American TV history, the Nielson company revealed, with 106.5 million viewers tuning in to see the Saints upset the Colts. The previous record was 105.97 when the nation watched the M*A*S*H series finale.

The previous Super Bowl-high was last year's championship in which the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied to beat the Arizona Cardinals on a late fingertip catch by Santonio Holmes. Almost 99 milllion viewers watched that game, and it's finish, along with heavy marketing by the NFL to attract female viewers, likely helped drive the ratings upwards as New Orleans shocked the world.

The Saints were underdogs by as much as six in some NFL Betting Lines but beat the Colts 31-17, giving the franchise it's first Super Bowl win in 43 long years of existence. Drew Brees was the MVP after throwing for 288 yards and two touchdowns, but it was Porters' interception late in the game that iced it. Porter jumped a stick route by Reggie Wayne and stepped in front of Manning's pass for a 74-yard touchdown return that made it a two-touchdown game.

After the game, Porter gushed that jumping the route was a product of great film study, usually the one thing that separates Manning from others.

"In film study, I’d seen that play over and over," Porter said. "Third down, that was a big route for them to convert upon. Through the numerous amounts of film study that we’ve done all week in preparing for the Super Bowl, when that route came, it was just like I was watching it on film. I made the break and here comes the end zone."

Next year's Super Bowl may get even higher ratings because it is possibly the last championship played for a while.

The current labor contract expires next January, and if team owners and the players union can't agree on an extension, players will be locked out. The league would come to a standstill, meaning no Super Bowl in 2012.