Ratings up for Super Bowl

The Super Bowl put a halt to a four-year decline in viewership, with an estimated 99.9 million people watching the Chiefs come back to defeat the 49ers.

The Nielsen company said viewership rebounded slightly from the 98.5 million who watched in 2019. An exciting game that featured a fourth-quarter comeback and two teams that haven’t been in the game lately most likely helped drive public interest.

Super Bowl viewership had been slowly eroding since its peak in 2015, when 114.4 million watched a thrilling finish between the Patriots and Seahawks.

By one measure, Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes wasn’t the biggest star on the field — not by a long shot.

Halftime show performer Jennifer Lopez led all personalities with 2.2 million interactions on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, according to Nielsen. Mahomes, the Chiefs quarterback, was the top player with 514,000 interactions.

The halftime show had 103 million viewers, Fox said.

♦ Officials in Kansas City, Missouri, announced that the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade will start at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and will culminate with a rally at Union Station.

This and that

Tight end Vernon Davis announced his retirement after 14 NFL seasons with the 49ers, Broncos and Redskins that included a title in Super Bowl 50.

♦ The Falcons announced that they will not offer a contract to defensive end Vic Beasley Jr., meaning the former NFL sack champion (15oe in 2016) will become a free agent.

♦ Free-agent tight end Greg Olsen reportedly will visit the Bills and Redskins this week. The Redskins are coached by Ron Rivera, Olsen’s coach with the Panthers.

♦ The Lions signed free-agent guard Josh Garnett, a former first-round draft pick of the 49ers in 2016.

♦ The Packers announced that former safety Willie Wood has died. He was 83. Wood had 48 interceptions with the team from 1960 to 1971. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.