Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
24: Legacy Has Worst Post-Super Bowl Audience in 14 Years
And it was almost the worst in over 40 years
The cushy post-Super Bowl slot that's given to the hosting network will always boost a show's ratings, but a litany of factors didn't help out 24: Legacy as much as Fox would have liked.
The debut of the 24 reboot without Jack Bauer was watched by 17.6 million viewers and earned a 6.1 rating among the coveted 18-49-year old demographic, according to Fox. On their own, those are great numbers, sure. But looking back in history, it's the least-watched post-Super Bowl episode of television since 2003, when ABC aired a Season 2 episode of Alias. That episode was also hurt due to a post-game Bon Jovi concert aired by ABC, which dragged its audience down to a 17.4 million viewer tally.
The Super Bowl itself was watched by 111.3 million viewers, making it the fourth most-watched telecast in history.
Due to Touchdown Tom taking his sweet time to get the New England Patriots into the game, Super Bowl LI went into overtime -- a first for the NFL's championship game -- meaning 24: Legacy didn't even start until 11 p.m. ET, and since Congress refuses to OK my petition to make the day after the Super Bowl a national holiday, many were halfway to dreamland by the time 24: Legacy aired its first torture scene. (The episode actually opened with a man who was tortured, so it didn't take long.)