Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Fri.-Sun., Jan. 30-Feb. 1) -- Super duper XLIX edition

Katy Perry didn’t jump the shark during halftime show. Photo: Ed Bark
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom on Twitter
Improbable, controversial finish: check.

Electrifying halftime show: check.

Great commercials: Meh.

The New England Patriot’s 28-24 Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seattle Seahawks blasted past last year’s one-sided game while falling just short of the D-FW viewership for the 2011 Super Bowl at Jerry’s Palace.

Airing on NBC and running from 5:30 to 9:07 p.m., the game averaged 2,740,782 viewers with a peak audience of 2,915,132 between 8:45 and 9 p.m. The Green Bay Packers’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2011 North Texas Supie drew 2,791,057 viewers with a high of 3,068,085.

Last year’s Super Bowl XLVIII on Fox, in which the Seahawks crushed the Denver Broncos, fell well short of both games’ numbers with an average of 2,591,975 viewers and a peak crowd of 2,769,507.

Among advertiser-coveted 18-to-49-year-olds, Sunday’s Supie averaged 1,258,366 viewers, compared to last year’s 1,142,125.

The ultra-colorful, amazingly choreographed Katy Perry halftime show fired up at 7:12 p.m. and ran until 7:24 p.m. after the game’s first half ended at 7:01 p.m. From 7 to 7:30 p.m. (Nielsen measures in 15-minute increments), the D-FW audience was 2,775,652 viewers with 1,258,366 in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic. In each case, the audience bumped up slightly from the 6:45 to 7 p.m. segment of game action.

NBC’s post-Super Bowl XLIX attraction, a new episode of The Blacklist, didn’t get on the air until 9:38 p.m. It averaged roughly 648,582 total viewers, although measurements are somewhat imprecise because the 9:30 to 9:45 segment was shared with the Super Bowl post-game show.

Opposite the Super Bowl, Fox’s repeats of The Simpsons and Family Guy, and ABC’s first of two America’s Funniest Home Videos reruns put up the best fights. Each averaged 48,818 total viewers.

On Saturday night, NBC’s two-hour live NFL Honors special drew just 118,558 total viewers and was beaten in the 9 p.m. hour by Fox4’s local newscast (139,480 viewers). Among 18-to-49-year-olds, NFL Honors lost its first hour to ABC’s second half of Despicable Me.

Friday’s prime-time Nielsens were paced by CBS’ Blue Bloods in total viewers (223,168) and ABC’s 20/20 in the 18-to-49 realm (63,076).

Here are Friday’s local news derby numbers on Day 2 of the February ratings “sweeps.”

Gannett8 won comfortably at 10 p.m. in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

Gannett8 also notched an uncommon first place finish at 6 a.m. in total viewers but was nipped by Fox4 among 25-to-54-year-olds.

CBS11 had the most total viewers at 6 p.m. while Gannett8 prevailed in the 25-to-54 demographic.

NBC5 and Gannett8 tied for the most total viewers at 5 p.m., with Fox4 winning among 25-to-54-year-olds.

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