According to preliminary results from Nielsen, the telecast of Super Bowl LI on FOX, which ran from 6:38 ET p.m. to 10:31 ET p.m., drew an average audience of about 111.3 million viewers who tuned in to watch the Atlanta Falcons battle the New England Patriots.

The first overtime game in Super Bowl history, in which Tom Brady and the Patriots orchestrated a 34-28 comeback, was viewed in an average of 53.6 million homes and had a preliminary 45.3 U.S. household rating.

Preliminary estimates also found that 70% of U.S. homes with televisions in use were tuned into the Super Bowl LI telecast.

According to preliminary estimates for Super Bowl LI simulcast on FOX Deportes, 650,270 people (P2+) tuned in.

In terms of the social nature of the big game, there were 190.8 million social media interactions across Facebook and Twitter from 48.3 million people in the U.S. related to “Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons” on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, according to Nielsen.

Social activity for the game peaked between 10:30 ET p.m. and 10:34 ET p.m. when 7.5 million interactions occurred after the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons.

On Twitter, each person in the U.S. interacted 4.4 times on average. The most Tweeted-about ads included Mr. Clean’s “Cleaner of Your Dreams,” Audi’s “Daughter,” and Buick’s “Pee Wee Commercial with Cam Newton & Miranda Kerr” (excludes TV and movie trailers).

There were 175.5 million interactions on Facebook in the U.S. about the event. Of the people who interacted with the game on Facebook, 62% were female and 42% were under the age of 35.

HISTORICAL SUPER BOWL VIEWERSHIP

Super Bowl Date Network Household Rating Household Share Avg. Number of Homes (000) Avg. Number of Persons 2+ (000) NFC Champion AFC Champion
Super Bowl 50 Feb. 7, 2016* CBS 46.6 72 54,251 111,864 Carolina Denver
XLIX Feb. 1, 2015* NBC 47.5 71 55,341 114,442 Seattle New England
XLVIII Feb. 2, 2014* FOX 46.7 69 54,134 112,191 Seattle Denver
XLVII Feb. 3, 2013* CBS 46.4 69 52,998 108,693 San Francisco Baltimore
XLVI Feb. 5, 2012* NBC 47.1 71 53,910 111,346 New York Giants New England
XLV Feb. 6, 2011* FOX 46.0 69 53,282 111,041 Green Bay Pittsburgh
XLIV Feb. 7, 2010* CBS 45.0 68 51,728 106,476 New Orleans Indianapolis
XLIII Feb. 1, 2009* NBC 42.0 64 48,139 98,732 Arizona Pittsburgh
XLII Feb. 3, 2008* FOX 43.1 65 48,665 97,448 New York Giants New England
XLI Feb. 4, 2007 * CBS 42.6 64 47,505 93,184 Chicago Indianapolis
XL Feb. 5, 2006 * ABC 41.6 62 45,867 90,745 Seattle Pittsburgh
XXXIX Feb. 6, 2005 FOX 41.1 62 45,081 86,072 Philadelphia New England
XXXVIII Feb. 1, 2004 CBS 41.4 63 44,908 89,795 Carolina New England
XXXVII Jan. 26, 2003 ABC 40.7 61 43,433 88,637 Tampa Bay Oakland
XXXVI Feb. 3, 2002 FOX 40.4 61 42,664 86,801 St. Louis New England
XXXV Jan. 28, 2001 CBS 40.4 61 41,270 84,335 NY Giants Baltimore
XXXIV Jan. 30, 2000 ABC 43.3 63 43,618 88,465 St. Louis Tennessee
XXXIII Jan. 31, 1999 FOX 40.2 61 39,992 83,720 Atlanta Denver
XXXII Jan. 25, 1998 NBC 44.5 67 43,630 90,000 Green Bay Denver
XXXI Jan. 26, 1997 FOX 43.3 65 42,000 87,870 Green Bay New England
XXX Jan. 28, 1996 NBC 46.0 68 44,145 94,080 Dallas Pittsburgh
XXIX Jan. 29, 1995 ABC 41.3 62 39,400 83,420 San Francisco San Diego
XXVIII Jan. 30, 1994 NBC 45.5 66 42,860 90,000 Dallas Buffalo
XXVII Jan. 31, 1993 NBC 45.1 66 41,990 90,990 Dallas Buffalo
XXVI Jan. 26, 1992 CBS 40.3 61 37,120 79,590 Washington Buffalo
XXV Jan. 27, 1991 ABC 41.9 63 39,010 79,510 NY Giants Buffalo
XXIV Jan. 28, 1990 CBS 39.0 63 35,920 73,852 San Francisco Denver
XXIII Jan. 22, 1989 NBC 43.5 68 39,320 81,590 San Francisco Cincinnati
XXII Jan. 31, 1988 ABC 41.9 62 37,120 80,140 Washington Denver
XXI Jan 25 1987 CBS 45.8 66 40,030 87,190 NY Giants Denver
XX Jan. 26, 1986 NBC 48.3 70 41,490 92,570 Chicago New England
XIX Jan. 20, 1985 ABC 46.4 63 39,390 85,530 San Francisco Miami
XVIII Jan. 22, 1984 CBS 46.4 71 38,880 77,620 Washington LA Raiders
XVII Jan. 30, 1983 NBC 48.6 69 40,480 81,770 Washington Miami
XVI Jan. 24, 1982 CBS 49.1 73 40,020 85,240 San Francisco Cincinnati
XV Jan. 25, 1981 NBC 44.4 63 34,540 68,290 Philadelphia Oakland
XIV Jan. 20, 1980 CBS 46.3 67 35,330 76,240 LA Rams Pittsburgh
XIII Jan. 21, 1979 NBC 47.1 74 35,090 74,740 Dallas Pittsburgh
XII Jan. 15, 1978 CBS 47.2 67 34,410 78,940 Dallas Denver
XI Jan. 9, 1977 NBC 44.4 73 31,610 62,050 Minnesota Oakland
X Jan. 18, 1976 CBS 42.3 78 29,440 57,710 Dallas Pittsburgh
IX Jan. 12, 1975 NBC 42.4 72 29,040 56,050 Minnesota Pittsburgh
VIII Jan. 13, 1974 CBS 41.6 73 27,540 51,700 Minnesota Miami
VII Jan. 14, 1973 NBC 42.7 72 27,670 53,320 Washington Miami
VI Jan. 16, 1972 CBS 44.2 74 27,450 56,640 Dallas Miami
V Jan. 17, 1971 NBC 39.9 75 23,980 46,040 Dallas Baltimore
IV Jan. 11, 1970 CBS 39.4 69 23,050 44,270 Minnesota Kansas City
III Jan. 12, 1969 NBC 36.0 70 20,520 41,660 Baltimore NY Jets
II Jan. 14, 1968 CBS 36.8 68 20,610 39,120 Green Bay Oakland
I Jan. 15, 1967 CBS 22.6 43 12,410 26,750 Green Bay Kansas City
I Jan. 15, 1967 NBC 18.5 36 10,160 24,430 Green Bay Kansas City
*Live + Same Day Viewing Estimates On This Page Include DVR Playback On The Same Day, Defined As 3AM-3AM
Note: Superbowl 1 (Jan 1967) aired on both CBS and NBC.
Source: Nielsen 

Source:  Nielsen, February 2017