Nielsen is reporting that Sunday's Super Bowl was viewed by an of average of 95.4 million people. Nielsen says the total audience for the broadcast was 148.3 million. While ratings were down over last year, Super Bowl XLIII will go down as the second highest rated Super Bowl ever.
On Wednesday the House of Representatives will vote on the amended DTV delay bill. The bill, which is nearly identical to the bill defeated last week, only needs a simple majority in order to be passed. If a majority is gained, the bill will effectively change the date for the end of analog television from February 17 to June 12.
Despite a tough economic climate, video game sales were up 11% in the US, UK and Japan in 2008. In total, the NDP group (with help from GfK Chart-Track Limited (U.K.) and Enterbrain (Japan)) is reporting that 409.9 million units were sold, with sales up as much as 15% in the US. Nintendo's Wii proved the most popular avenue for gamers, with Wii Mario Kart being the most purchased game.
As if things couldn't get any weirder, SAG President Alan Rosenberg is going to court to try and reinstate former National Director and chief negotiator Doug Allen. Immediately after Rosenberg notified the press, the AMPTP put negotiations on hold. Allen was recently ousted from the Guild after successfully dividing the organization while pushing for a strike authorization vote.
Comcast subscribers in the Tucson area were treated to a bit of pornography during the Super Bowl. The clip, which featured full frontal male nudity, interejected itself into the broadcast toward the end of the game, leaving viewers frightened, or simply puzzled. Comcast, who will certainly have to deal with FCC on the issue is trying to figure out exactly what went wrong.
Plus, today's consulting question, "Were the 3d ads in the Super Bowl successful?" Shelly has the answer on today's MediaBytes.
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net