Maybe it was because Tom Brady and the hated New England Patriots suffered a 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. Maybe it was because the Big Game was an instant classic, with plenty of scoring, highlight-reel plays, and a game that wasn’t truly decided until Brady’s last-ditch Hail Mary pass fell harmlessly to the ground after the clock hit zeroes.
Whatever the reason, when it comes to Super Bowl LII viewership, the city of Buffalo is ranked No. 1 in total viewership according to NBC Sports, which released the top metered markets for the Super Bowl.
Buffalo came in at No. 1 with a total of 56.4 percent of households with a television tuning into the game, edging out the markets of the two teams vying for the Super Bowl: Philadelphia (56.2) and Boston (55.9).
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10161115/Screenshot_2018_02_05_at_3.50.37_PM.png)
The game was played inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., and the No. 4-ranked city for total viewership was host Minneapolis-St. Paul, with a 54.9.
Besides rooting against the Patriots, Bills fans who tuned in had to enjoy watching former quarterback Frank Reich finally win a Super Bowl title as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator.
Also earning rings were Jim Schwartz, Buffalo’s former defensive coordinator who held the same title with the Eagles, along with linebacker Nigel Bradham, cornerback Ronald Darby, safety Corey Graham, left tackle Jason Peters, and Tom Donahoe, Philadelphia’s senior football advisor.
The game posted a 47.4 overnight rating, which represented a three-percent drop from Super Bowl LI, which pulled a 48.8 in early numbers.