If ever there was a chance for a Super Bowl game to set a new record, it very well could be this year, as everything is in place for that to be a real possibility.
Everything is lined up. You have two teams very competitive against one another. They are both in large markets, and the scenario is one that will generate a lot of interest in usually casual fans.
"When we look at the two teams, one is going for perfection and the other one is going to stop them from going for perfection," said Tom Ziangas, a senior vice president at Nielsen Sports. "It looks to be a super Super Bowl."
The viewer numbers that hold the record are the 94 million that tuned in to watch the 1996 Super Bowl between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers, which was won by the Cowboys 27-17. The 94 million number is reached by measuring the minute-by-minuter viewership throughout the entire game.
The David vs. Goliath matchup, with the underdog New York Giants trying to stop the New England Patriots from becoming the second team in history to go undefeated, is also a tremendous draw.
Much will depend on if the game remains competitive, or it becomes a blowout, with people not checking in or leaving because they know the end results.
If the game remains close and in doubt toward near the end, I would be surprised not to see it break the all-time viewership record for the Super Bowl.
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