The Nielsen ratings are coming in for Sunday’s Super Bowl match and it appears that the Giants’ victory over New England was the most watched TV show in almost 25 years. Not since the final episode of M*A*S*H in 1983 have so many Americans shared in the experience of a single program.
We know that the Super Bowl is a perennial pleaser for broadcasters; Fox was charging $2.7M per 30 second spot for advertising. Still, I wonder what lessons can be found for those contemplating the role of broadcasting in the future, as viewers find so many other places to plant their eyeballs.
The ratings were bolstered by viewers cheering for or against the possibility of New England finishing the season 19-0; a great last quarter; and the sacrifice of so many New Year’s resolution diets because of the inability to eat chili dogs without friends, beer and chips.
While new media is able to deliver content that targets the needs of the individual – when you want it, where ever you want to receive it – the Super Bowl ratings show that broadcasting is effective at delivering programming to the masses.
Regardless of the popularity of Facebook and other new media social networking sites, the Super Bowl numbers demonstrate the power of broadcast TV, a relatively old medium, to bring us together with family and friends for personal interaction.
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