Super Bowl viewership nears 100 million

The Super Bowl put a halt to a four-year decline in viewership, with an estimated 99.9 million people watching the Kansas City Chiefs come back to defeat the San Francisco 49ers in what is annually the most-watched television event of the year.

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 ultimate 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 New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.

NBA

STAPLES CENTER REMOVES BRYANT MEMORIAL >> A massive memorial created by the public outside Staples Center after the death of former Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant was being dismantled Monday, with an official saying some of the items would go to Bryant’s widow and other family members.

The cleanup of flowers, balloons, jerseys, stuffed toys and basketballs began at 4 a.m., Staples Center President Lee Zeidman tweeted. A fence was erected around the site to keep the cleanup out of public view.

Fans spontaneously began creating the memorial in a plaza outside the arena as word surfaced that Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people were killed Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash in suburban Calabasas. The memorial kept growing for a week. Personal messages were written on many of the items.

“Truly amazing the outpouring of love from the City of Angels in honor of the 9 who lost their lives (Jan. 26),” Zeidman said. By midmorning Monday, he said, more than 1,350 basketballs had been boxed up.

Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, had requested items, which were to be cataloged and shipped to the family. Flowers will be composted and spread around plants near Staples Center.

College basketball

OREGON HANDS UCONN WORST HOME LOSS SINCE 2005 >> Ruthy Hebard had 22 points and 12 rebounds and No. 3 Oregon handed fourth-ranked UConn its first loss on campus in seven years, rolling to a 74-56 victory on Monday night.