Final results released by The Nielsen Company show that the Super Bowl matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals was the most watched Super Bowl ever, eclipsing last year’s thriller between New York and New England. The broadcast, which featured a halftime performance by Bruce Springsteen, had an average viewership of 98.7 million viewers.
| RANK | SUPER BOWL | WINNER | LOSER | AVG # OF VIEWERS P2+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009 | Pittsburgh | Arizona | 98,732,000 |
| 2 | 2008 | New York | New England | 97,448,000 |
| 3 | 1996 | Dallas | Pittsburgh | 94,080,000 |
| 4 | 2007 | Indianapolis | Chicago | 93,184,000 |
| 5 | 1986 | Chicago | New England | 92,570,000 |
| 6 | 1993 | Dallas | Buffalo | 90,990,000 |
| 7 | 2006 | Pittsburgh | Seattle | 90,745,000 |
| 8 | 1998 | Denver | Green Bay | 90,000,000 |
| 9 | 1994 | Dallas | Buffalo | 90,000,000 |
| 10 | 2004 | New England | Carolina | 89,795,000 |
| Source: 2009 The Nielsen Company |
