Sunday's Super Bowl was the lowest-scoring one in the event’s 53-year history and struggled in the television ratings, too — especially in Los Angeles, where it had near-record low viewership.

Preliminary numbers from Nielsen, which tabulates viewership, show that 44.9 percent of homes in the nation with a TV tuned into CBS to watch the Patriots beat the Rams 13-3, the worst rating since the 2009 matchup between the Steelers and Cardinals had a 42.1 figure. Last year’s scintillating Eagles-Patriots contest generated a 47.4 “overnight” rating.

Nielsen also reported that Sunday’s game was seen by 100.7 million viewers combined on television and streaming services, with the TV audience alone at 98.2 million. That is a 3 percent dip from last year’s 103.4 million, on NBC.

Boston had the nation's best rating this year, 57.1.

Rams ratings have been low in Los Angles compared to those for teams in other cities since the club returned to Southern California from St. Louis three seasons ago, and that trend continued Sunday.