Fox affiliate WUTV-Channel 29 set a local Super Bowl ratings record Sunday.

Green Bay’s 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers had a 52.7 local rating and a 71.7 share of the audience.

That means 52.7 percent of area households were tuned in and 71.7 percent of all households with their TV turned on were watching the game.

According to Channel 4 researcher Bob Gallivan, the 2011 Super Bowl is the highest-rated Super Bowl since Buffalo became a metered market in 2000 and the 52.7 rating is the highest-rating for any program in that time.

The rating broke the previous local mark of 52.0 set two years ago when Pittsburgh defeated Arizona. New Orleans’ win over Indianapolis in 2010 had a 50.5 rating.

Nationally, the game set a record for most viewers but the rating was lower than several other Super Bowls. That’s because a ratings point is equal to more viewers than it has been in the past. Various preliminary reports have the national rating between 46.0 and 47.9.

The Buffalo Bills’ four Super Bowl appearances didn’t receive local ratings because they were played years before the market was metered and before the game was moved into the February sweeps.

There are multiple possible reasons for the record rating, including the storied history of the Steelers and the Packers, the participation of Green Bay running back James Starks of Niagara Falls and the University at Buffalo and the cold and snowy weather.

pergament@msn.com