Nik Wallenda's Chicago Wire Walk A Blockbuster For Discovery

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Nik Wallenda's high-wire act on Sunday did sky-high ratings in Chicago.

The event, which was carried live by the Discovery Channel, was the most-watched program all day on Sunday.

Viewership in Chicago peaked around 7:30 p.m., just as Wallenda was preparing to start his walk over the Chicago River between Marina City and the Leo Burnett building.

At that time, 1 million people in the Chicago market tuned in, making it bigger than any NFL football game or other prime-time show.

If the Bears had been playing, the Wallenda walk probably would have slipped to No. 2 in the ratings. A typical Bears game draws an average of 1.5 million viewers.

While viewers had to endure 90 minutes of preview before Wallenda began his walk, the images of the city at night were spectacular.

The city said about 65,000 people watched the event in person.