Ratings for Super Bowl XLIII between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams were the lowest since 2009 when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals.
The matchup earned a 44.9 overnight rating compared to 47.7 for last season’s game between the Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. The ratings drop conflicts with the gains the N.F.L. made up during the season.
The last two Super Bowls experienced nominal overnight ratings decreases from the previous Super Bowl, but nothing like the significant viewership declines the N.F.L. suffered during both of those seasons.
The Super Bowl is typically the most-watched television event of the year in the United States. Its audience hasn’t dipped below 100 million since 2009, but the TV audience has been falling since its 2015 high of 114.4 million.
