Local Nielsen ratings snapshot (Thurs.-Sun., Feb. 3-6) -- Super duper numbers for XLV

Packers prevail 31-25 in Jerry's Super bowl whopper. Photo: Ed Bark
By ED BARK
The D-FW audience for Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium not surprisingly outdrew last year's crowd-pleaser while also hitting an astronomical peak audience of over 3 million Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers' 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers averaged 2,791,057 viewers on Fox, with a high of 3,068,085 during the game's climactic quarter hour -- 9 to 9:15 p.m.

Last year's New Orleans Saints' win over the Indianapolis Colts, likewise a close game, averaged 2,599,153 viewers in D-FW with a peak crowd of 2,911,323.

The D-FW market, fifth largest in the country, has a potential viewing audience of about 6.93 million, according to estimates by Nielsen Media Research. Opposite Sunday's Super Bowl XLV, the most-watched competing attraction, ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos, had a measly 41,554 viewers from 6 to 7 p.m.

Fox's post-Supie attraction, an elongated new episode of Glee, ran all the way to 10:45 p.m. It averaged 983,449 viewers, falling off as the night wore on. Still, that's easily the biggest D-FW audience ever for Glee.

Meanwhile, the four-week February ratings sweeps started last Thursday. Here's how it looked on the first two weekdays for the four major players -- Fox4, NBC5, WFAA8 and CBS11

THURSDAY
CBS11 capitalized on a big lead-in from CBS' The Mentalist to edge arch rival WFAA8 at 10 p.m. in total viewers (325,508 to 311,657). But Fox4 was the surprise winner among 25-to-54-year-olds, the main advertiser target audience for news programming. It won by a sliver over CBS11 -- 138,248 to 137,627.

Fox4 rolled at 6 a.m., winning in both ratings measurements. CBS11 vaulted into third place, outdrawing No. 4 WFAA8 in both total viewers and 25-to-54-year-olds.

CBS11 ran first in total viewers at 6 p.m., but WFAA8 had a comfortable winning margin among 25-to-54-year-olds. The 5 p.m. golds went to WFAA8 in total viewers and NBC5 in the 25-to-54 demographic.

FRIDAY
CBS11 again won at 10 p.m. in total viewers while slipping to second among 25-to-54-year-olds behind NBC5.

The Peacock and Fox4 split the 6 a.m. spoils, with NBC5 narrowly winning in total viewers and Fox4 edging to the top of the 25-to-54 heap. WFAA8 ran fourth for the second consecutive weekday in total viewers, but beat CBS11 among 25-to-54-year-olds.

CBS11 ran the table at 6 p.m. and WFAA8 did likewise at 5 p.m.