CBS’ Super Bowl 50 Most-Watched TV Program Ever

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One day after leading Denver to victory in Super Bowl 50, quarterback Peyton Manning gives the thumbs up to fans at Disneyland (Screen cap via YouTube clip)

The Denver Broncos weren’t the only winners on Sunday night with their 24-10 upset of the Carolina Panthers. Turns out the CBS telecast of Super Bowl 50 was the most-watched program in television history with 167 million viewers.

Those are the numbers via Nielsen’s fast total audience estimates based on “watched in all-or-part (of at least six minutes).” The previous high was CBS’s coverage of Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 when a “mere” 164.1 million viewers tuned in to watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers.

The 167.0 million viewers is a television-only number and does not include online and mobile streaming. (The estimated average of 111.9 million viewers places it third overall.)

Judging from the comments made by readers to Best Classic Bands‘ Facebook page, classic rock fans were not particularly happy with the game’s halftime show choice of performers or their actual performances. Of the Coldplay-Beyoncé-Bruno Mars production, reader Gareth wrote: “The show was bloody awful.” Keith added: “That was THE worst show in the history of the SuperBowl (sic).”

Among the other winners? TV sponsors who paid north of $5 million for a 30-second spot. There were a remarkable number of commercials that featured classic rock songs; click here to read BCB’s coverage of the spots that used music from David Bowie, Van Halen, Queen, Jeff Lynne and more.

In other #SB50 news… enjoying his first day off, Broncos QB Peyton Manning was saluted today at Disneyland in Anaheim with a champion’s parade down Main Street U.S.A.

The victory adds to an impressive list of accomplishments. Manning is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes in an 18-year career that includes 14 Pro Bowl selections, two Super Bowl championships and an NFL-record five regular-season MVP awards.

Among the losers? Panthers’ QB Cam Newton, who skipped out on his press conference moments after it started.