A fitting end for the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history. The Patriots won, 13-3, over the Rams.
Alexandra Steingrad writes at the NY Post: "The matchup broadcast on CBS nabbed a 44.9 rating, according to the Sports Business Journal, declining 5.3 percent from last year. It’s the worst rating since Super Bowl XLIII of 2009, in which the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals."
That's in stark contrast to the regular season ratings rebound in 2018. From Brad Adgate at Forbes: "After two seasons of declining ratings, viewing of NFL games is up in 2018. There are a few reasons for the uptick in TV viewing, including a lot of high-scoring games and marquee matchups in prime time."
And? The kaperdink kneeling nonsense had run its course. Fans were outraged by it. The media were bored with it. The NFL finally threw a flag on it. The message was clear: grid iron warriors stood on the field; social justice warriors knelt in the locker room. Advertisers breathed a sigh of relief.
For fickle fans, the great games of 2018 helped hide a multitude of sins and sell more beer. Adgate concludes, "With the number of viewing options continuing to grow, virtually every television program is losing viewers year-to-year. Furthermore, NFL games can be streamed on a number of digital platforms, impacting television ratings. This makes the NFL’s ratings growth in 2018 even more impressive."
Until its not. For fickle fans, lousy referees in the post-season revealed a multitude of sins and opened new wounds. Just ask any Saints fan.
Neil Best tallied the numbers for Newsday: "In the Boston area, an average of 57.4 percent of homes tuned in on Sunday, while in Los Angeles that figure was 44.6. New Orleans ranked last among the 56 major markets at 26.1, the Times-Picayune reported, a shockingly low number for one of the NFL’s strongest TV markets. Many Saints fans boycotted the game because of the missed call in the NFC Championship Game that likely cost their team a spot in the Super Bowl."
I think other fans were simply bored with a sixth appearance in the Super Bowl by the Tom Brady Patriots, regardless of opponent. Chiefs fans are simply anxious for next year of more Mahomes & Co.