Super Bowl XLIV: The All-time Most Viewed, the All-time Most Ads

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Sunday's big game had more viewers (150 million) than any Super Bowl in history. It also boasted a whopping 48 minutes of commercials (seven more minutes than last year), making it the most ad-heavy ever. From Consumerist:

While some might argue this exhibits a willingness on the part of advertisers to once again spend big bucks on high-profile TV spots, Kantar [Media] points out that Super Bowl XLIV featured the highest number of cheaper, shorter 15-second ads in almost a decade.

Is it odd that the massive ratings and ad numbers come at time when network TV is supposedly flailing? I guess you can always count on the big game.