Super Bowl XLVI Most Viewed Television Program In History

So how many of you watched the Super Bowl last night? I bet most, if not all of you watched as the New York Giants triumphantly defeated the New England Patriots in comeback fashion. For all of the hype surrounding the game and the recent history behind the matchup, it was destined to make great television.

Well, for anyone who was wondering, this year's Super Bowl set a record for being the most viewed show in U.S. television history.

A grand total of 166.8 million viewers tuned into NBC to watch the highly competitive match-up between the Giants and Patriots according to The Nielsen Company. For the fifth year in a row the Super Bowl has set a record for television viewership. As it is, Super Bowls in terms of audience viewership account for the 21 most-watched programs in history.

After watching the Green Bay Packers upset the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 during last year's Super Bowl this year's game didn't fall short of expectations or leave anyone disappointed. The fact that this year's Super Bowl had teams from the two biggest media markets didn't hurt.

This year's Super Bowl was one of the most memorable games in history as Eli Manning and the Giants made a fourth quarter comeback against Tom Brady and the Patriots. With less than four minutes remaining in regulation Manning and the Giants marched down field with little resistance from New England's defense. The game-winning drive was highlighted by Mario Manningham's spectacular 38-yard catch that kept the momentum going for the Giants offense, and then was capped off by Ahmad Bradshaw's six-yard touchdown run. This was a game that New England should have won, but thanks to a number of mistakes they weren't able to seal the deal against New York.