The TV ratings for the Super Bowl were down this year, and disgruntled New Orleans Saints fans are part of the reason why.

Most Saints supporters believe their beloved team was robbed of the chance to play in Super Bowl LIII after a missed penalty call toward the end of the NFC Championship game two weeks ago.

So instead of watching the New England Patriots beat the Rams 13-3 on Sunday, much of New Orleans took to the streets for a festive protest.

Saints fans make their way down Canal Street on Super Bowl Sunday. (Michael DeMocker / Associated Press)


The Storyville Jazz Band leads a jazz funeral for the Saints’ season on Feb. 3. (Michael DeMocker / Associated Press)

Saints fans make their way through the French Quarter on Super Bowl Sunday. (Michael DeMocker / Associated Press)

“This is what happens when Saints fans come together,” Kim Bergeron, a protest organizer, told the Times-Picayune. “We realize that the game is not about the score; it’s about a winning attitude, spirit and showing the world that we are not defeated.”

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The CBS broadcast of the Super Bowl earned an overnight rating of 26.2 in New Orleans, the lowest of any TV market and well below the national overnight rating of 44.9.

And speaking of that national rating, it’s down 5% from last year and the lowest since 2009. Sure, that probably had a lot to do with lackluster performances by both offenses and a halftime show that has received less than stellar reviews, but the Who Dats no doubt had an impact as well.

charles.schilken@latimes.com

Twitter: @chewkiii