NBC SCORES BIG WITH SUPER BOWL

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 4, 1993                   TAG: 9302030115
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STEVEN HERBERT LOS ANGELES TIMES
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
NBC SCORES BIG WITH SUPER BOWL
Despite its customary rout, Super Bowl XXVII on Sunday earned NBC the game's highest overnight ratings since 1987 and figures to finish as at least the third most-watched ever when final national figures are released Tuesday.
The network's telecast of the Dallas Cowboys' 52-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills at the Rose Bowl averaged a 43.9 rating and 65 percent share of the audience in the 28 markets for which the A.C. Nielsen Co. had ratings data Monday. An NBC Research estimate expects the average audience to be in excess of 120 million viewers.
"It's a very encouraging number," said an ABC executive who asked not to be identified. "It's great that the NFL still has great drawing power."
Those were the best overnight figures since the New York Giants' 39-20 victory over the Denver Broncos drew a 47.9 on CBS in 1987. The Washington Redskins' 37-24 victory over Buffalo in last year's game on CBS had a 40.4 overnight rating and drew a 60 percent share of the audience. The national ratings were 0.1 and 1.1 points lower, respectively, than the overnight figures of the past two years.
If the overnight ratings - which represent half of the nation - hold, it would be the 13th-highest rated Super Bowl. The 1982 game between the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals is the leader with a 49.1. (Viewership can rise while ratings decline at the same time because of the increased number of potential viewers and television sets. Ratings for all types of television programs have declined in recent years as the increased choices provided by cable, the Fox network, independent stations and videocassette recorders have siphoned away viewers.)
The audience of more than 120 million would edge last year's game (about 119,680,000) but fall behind 1987's (122,640,000) and the approximately 127 million who watched the Chicago Bears' 46-10 1986 victory over the New England Patriots on NBC.
NBC had long assured itself of a profit on the Super Bowl, after selling out all 56 30-second commercial spots at $850,000 a piece early last month.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB