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Super Bowl Ratings: Beyoncé, Blackout and the Ravens Bring In Third Most-Watched TV Program Ever

by Jenna Mullins Mon., Feb. 4, 2013 1:48 PM PST

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Whether you tuned in to the 2013 Super Bowl to watch the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Fransisco 49ers, or for Beyoncé's hair-whipping, booty-shaking halftime show, you definitely were not alone.

Super Bowl XLVII brought in an average of 108.41 million viewers, making it the third most-watched program in television history, behind last year's Giants-Patriots Super Bowl and 2011's Steelers-Packers match-up.

Although last night's game was the second-highest rated Super Bowl in 27 years, it's actually the first time in eight years that the broadcast dropped in the ratings. Turns out, not even Beyonce herself was able to boost up the numbers to keep the ratings' upwards-trend going.

Best and worst moments from the 2013 Super Bowl

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Other notable tidbits about last night's ratings:

Nielsen did not count the blackout period in the ratings, though it was entertaining to read about on Twitter.
If you look at the unadjusted numbers, the game lost 10 million people from 7:30 p.m., when the halftime show ended, the Ravens scored with a kickoff return and when the blackout started, and tuned back in around 8 p.m. ET, with the power outage still going on.

So for the 108 million of you who watched, did you tune in for the commercials, for Beyoncé, or for the game?

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