Super Bowl ratings hit all-time high for NBC

[February 03, 2015]  (Reuters) - The New England Patriots' heart-stopping 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl delivered record-breaking monster television ratings for NBC, the network announced on Monday.

Sunday's game in Glendale, Arizona, scored a 49.7 overnight rating, the highest in Super Bowl history, NBC said.

The overnight topped a 50 rating in each half hour from 8 p.m. EST forward and peaked at a 52.9 from 10-10:15 p.m. ET, the network said.

NBC said the overnight ratings were up 4 percent from last year's 47.6 rating when Seattle crushed the Denver Broncos, 43-8, and up 3 percent from the prior record, a 48.1 when the Baltimore Ravens edged the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, the year before.

The total number of viewers for the Super Bowl, which could be an American television record, will be announced later Monday.

(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington)

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