On Sunday Super Bowl XLIV was crowned the most-watched show in U.S. history. Averaging 106.5 million viewers, this year’s Super Bowl dethrones M*A*S*H, the previous record holder that garnered 106 million viewers during its two-hour series finale in 1983. M*A*S*H star Alan Alda has this to say about the loss of such a coveted record: “I’m happy for New Orleans. I want to see that city come out first in every way that it can, even if it means giving up a record that M*A*S*H held for a long time.” With M*A*S*H out of the way, TV viewers and analysts now have Super Bowl XLVI as a new comparison to look at when discussing most-watched television programs.
In related Super Bowl news…want to know which ad people liked most? According to the USA TODAY ad meter, Snickers’ ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda getting pushed around in the mud playing football earned the top spot. The ad meter panel gave the Snickers commercial a rating of 8.68 out of 10. Lesson learned? People like watching old people playing rough sports. Missed out on the commercials? Check out a bunch of ’em here.