The New England Patriots’ Super Bowl triumph on Sunday attracted the smallest audience in the US for the NFL American football showpiece for four years.
According to audience measurement company Nielsen, the Patriots’ overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons attracted 111.3 million viewers on the Fox network. The viewing figures peaked at 117.7 million during overtime, when the Patriots completed a remarkable comeback, having trailed 28-3 midway through the third quarter.
The Super Bowl Halftime Show, featuring pop star Lady Gaga, drew 117.5 million viewers.
Last year’s Super Bowl drew 111.9 million viewers to the CBS network.
However, Fox said that the total audience for Sunday’s game across the Fox, Fox Sports Go, NFL Digital and Fox Deportes platforms was 113.7 million – equalling the second most-watched Super Bowl of all time.