Pro Bowl grabs 12.5 million viewers in second-best showing
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall (19) of the AFC hauls in a touchdown on his back during second-half action of the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl football game on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The AFC won 59-41.
Photo Gallery: Pro Bowl
Sunday’s game was the second most-watched Pro Bowl in 12 years, according to preliminary TV ratings.
An NFL spokesman said the game, which was shown by NBC, averaged 12.5 million viewers and a 7.3 rating.
The AFC won a 59-41 victory over the NFC before 48,423 at Aloha Stadium.
Only the 2011 Pro Bowl, which attracted 13.4 million viewers in final numbers, has done better in the past 12 years, the NFL said.
By way of comparison, Nielsen ratings listed the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star game with 11 million viewers on Fox, according to the Baseball Almanac.
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The 2012 Pro Bowl was the final game under the current contract with the NFL. Both the NFL and the Hawaii Tourism Authority have said that negotiations continue over the future Pro Bowls.
