Super Bowl XLIX sees record TV ratings

Like the New England Patriots, NBC’s broadcast of the Super Bowl was a champion on Sunday night.

NBC announced on Monday that the Patriots 28-24 last second victory over the Seattle Seahawks delivered a 49.7 overnight rating — the highest in Super Bowl history.

That rating was up 4% from last year’s game. The total number of viewers will be announced later on Monday.

The exciting final seconds of the game, which saw the Patriots literally snatch victory away from the Seahawks, helped the telecast peak with a mega 52.9 rating.

As for the Super Bowl’s total audience, that number will be announced by NBC later on Monday. However, by the looks of the overnight numbers, the viewership could be a new TV ratings record.

NBC also had a big night on the digital side of the things, with its live stream of the game bringing in a ton of viewers.

More than 1.3 million people watched the Super Bowl through NBC’s web stream of the game during the final moments when Patriots’ Malcolm Bulter intercepted a pass from Seattle on the goal line to seal the win.

Even though the Seahawks came up short, the team’s fans still watched in droves.

According to ESPN’s Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell, 89% of the TVs on in Seattle during the game were tuned into the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XLIX was also a huge hit on social media.

Over 28.4 million tweets related to the game and halftime show were sent during the live telecast.

This made the 49th annual game the most tweeted Super Bowl ever.