At least 111.3 million people watched the New England Patriots’ historic comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, according to Nielsen.
The game was the fourth-most-watched television broadcast in American history behind last year’s Super Bowl 50 on CBS. That matchup just barely topped Sunday’s game with a total of 111.9 million viewers.
The actual viewership could even be higher, since Nielsen can’t measure viewers from group gatherings at a bar or party, according to CNN.
The high ratings are significant this time around considering Atlanta’s dominant lead over New England throughout the first three quarters of the game. Viewers could have abandoned the broadcast, but evidently stuck with it and were rewarded with the first Super Bowl to go into overtime in NFL history.
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