In a year featuring two of the world’s biggest sporting events, the NFL was still the dominant television draw. [Click here to jump straight to the list.]
The NFL accounted for 24 of the 26 most-watched sporting events in 2014, including the top nine. The Super Bowl was the year’s top program as usual, with an all-time TV record 112.2 million viewers. The Seahawks/49ers NFC Championship Game ranked second (55.9M) and the Patriots/Broncos AFC title game third (51.3M).
Overall, 37 of the 50 most-watched sporting events were NFL games — down from 46 last year. The Olympics and World Cup cut into the NFL’s dominance, accounting for 11 spots in the top 50. The top non-NFL sports telecast was the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics (31.7M) and the Germany/Argentina World Cup final ranked second (26.5M).
The only events outside of the NFL, Olympics and World Cup to make the top 50 were the final BCS National Championship Game (26.1M) and Game 7 of the World Series (23.5M). The championship of the NCAA Tournament (21.2M) ranked 51st.
Among the other notable events outside of the top 50 were The Belmont Stakes (20.4M), the top game of the NBA Finals (18.0M) and the final round of The Masters (11.0M). The most-watched NASCAR race of the year, the rain-delayed Daytona 500 (9.3M), could not crack the top 50 even with the NFL and Olympics excluded from the list.
Ratings and viewership obtained through various sources, including Nielsen, ESPN PR, Univision PR, Sports Business Daily, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, and CBS/Turner Sports.
50 Most-Watched Sporting Events of 2014
| # | Sport | Event | Net | Rtg. | Vwrs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NFL | Seahawks/Broncos Super Bowl 48 |
FOX | 46.7 | 112.19M |
| 2 | NFL | Seahawks/49ers NFC Championship |
FOX | 28.5 | 55.91M |
| 3 | NFL | Patriots/Broncos AFC Championship |
CBS | 28.1 | 51.30M |
| 4 | NFL | 49ers/Packers NFC Wild Card |
FOX | 25.8 | 47.10M |
| 5 | NFL | Chargers/Broncos AFC Divisional |
CBS | 23.1 | 41.21M |
| 6 | NFL | Saints/Eagles NFC Wild Card |
NBC | 19.1 | 34.36M |
| 7 | NFL | 49ers/Panthers NFC Divisional |
FOX | 19.9 | 33.30M |
| 8 | NFL | Eagles/Cowboys Regular Season Week 13 |
FOX | 14.2 | 32.03M |
| 9 | NFL | Colts/Patriots AFC Divisional |
CBS | 17.8 | 31.69M |
| 10 | Oly. | Opening Ceremony | NBC | 17.0 | 31.69M |
| 11 | NFL | Saints/Seahawks NFC Divisional |
FOX | 18.1 | 31.10M |
| 12 | NFL | Chargers/Bengals AFC Wild Card |
CBS | 18.9 | 30.90M |
| 13 | NFL | Patriots/Packers Regular Season Week 13 |
CBS | 17.6 | 30.88M |
| 14 | NFL | Cowboys/Seahawks (69%) Regular Season Week 6 |
FOX | 17.4 | 30.02M |
| 15 | NFL | Bears/Lions Regular Season Week 13 |
CBS | 14.2 | 29.41M |
| 16 | NFL | Broncos/Patriots (92%) Regular Season Week 9 |
CBS | 16.8 | 29.09M |
| 17 | NFL | Lions/Packers (87%) Regular Season Week 17 |
FOX | 15.6 | 28.51M |
| 18 | NFL | 49ers/Cowboys Regular Season Week 1 |
FOX | 15.7 | 28.00M |
| 19 | NFL | Chiefs/Colts AFC Wild Card |
NBC | 16.0 | 27.58M |
| 20 | NFL | Broncos/Seahawks (89%) Regular Season Week 3 |
CBS | 15.8 | 27.29M |
| 21 | NFL | Cowboys/Giants (92%) Regular Season Week 7 |
FOX | 15.6 | 26.98M |
| 22 | NFL | Packers/Seahawks NFL Kickoff Game |
NBC | 15.5 | 26.91M |
| T23 | NFL | Eagles/Packers (84%) Regular Season Week 11 |
FOX | 15.1 | 26.50M |
| T23 | FIFA | Germany/Argentina World Cup Final |
ABC, Univ. | N/A | 26.50M |
| 25 | NFL | 49ers/Seahawks (84%) Regular Season Week 15 |
FOX | 15.7 | 26.48M |
| 26 | NFL | Dolphins/Broncos (83%) Regular Season Week 12 |
CBS | 15.5 | 26.38M |
| 27 | Oly. | Primetime (2/9) | NBC | 14.4 | 26.32M |
| 28 | CFB | FSU/Auburn BCS Championship |
ESPN, ESPN2, ESNWS | 14.8 | 26.06M |
| 29 | NFL | Seahawks/Eagles (91%) Regular Season Week 14 |
FOX | 15.6 | 25.93M |
| 30 | NFL | Colts/Cowboys (93%) Regular Season Week 16 |
CBS | 15.2 | 25.89M |
| 31 | NFL | Eagles/49ers (88%) Regular Season Week 4 |
FOX | 15.0 | 25.82M |
| 32 | Oly. | Primetime (2/8) | NBC | 13.9 | 25.12M |
| 33 | NFL | Chiefs/Broncos (56%) Regular Season Week 2 |
CBS | 14.4 | 24.94M |
| 34 | FIFA | USA/Portugal World Cup Group Play |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 24.76M |
| 35 | NFL | Cowboys/Eagles Regular Season Week 15 |
NBC | 14.3 | 24.25M |
| 36 | NFL | 49ers/Broncos Regular Season Week 7 |
NBC | 13.8 | 23.79M |
| 37 | Oly. | Primetime (2/11) | NBC | 13.7 | 23.72M |
| 38 | NFL | Colts/Broncos Regular Season Week 1 |
NBC | 13.9 | 23.69M |
| 39 | Oly. | Primetime (2/17) | NBC | 13.8 | 23.55M |
| 40 | MLB | Giants/Royals World Series Game 7 |
FOX | 13.7 | 23.52M |
| 41 | Oly. | Primetime (2/13) | NBC | 13.4 | 22.94M |
| 42 | NFL | Seahawks/49ers Regular Season Week 13 |
NBC | 11.4 | 22.85M |
| 43 | NFL | Giants/Seahawks (86%) Regular Season Week 10 |
FOX | 13.5 | 22.72M |
| 44 | NFL | Saints/Cowboys Regular Season Week 4 |
NBC | 13.3 | 22.68M |
| 45 | Oly. | Primetime (2/10) | NBC | 12.8 | 22.40M |
| 46 | NFL | Cowboys/Giants Regular Season Week 12 |
NBC | 13.1 | 22.38M |
| 47 | NFL | Cardinals/Cowboys (63%) Regular Season Week 9 |
FOX | 13.2 | 22.27M |
| 48 | NFL | Bears/49ers Regular Season Week 2 |
NBC | 12.9 | 22.16M |
| 49 | FIFA | Belgium/USA World Cup Round of 16 |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 21.57M |
| 50 | Oly. | Primetime (2/16) | NBC | 12.1 | 21.27M |
Most-Watched Sporting Events, NFL and Olympics Excluded
| # | Sport | Event | Net | Rtg. | Vwrs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIFA | Germany/Argentina World Cup Final |
ABC, Univ. | N/A | 26.50M |
| 2 | CFB | FSU/Auburn BCS Championship |
ESPN | 14.8 | 26.06M |
| 3 | FIFA | USA/Portugal World Cup Group Play |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 24.76M |
| 4 | MLB | Giants/Royals World Series Game 7 |
FOX | 13.7 | 23.52M |
| 5 | FIFA | Belgium/USA World Cup Round of 16 |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 21.57M |
| 6 | CBB | Connecticut/Kentucky National Championship |
CBS | 12.4 | 21.20M |
| 7 | Horse | The Belmont Stakes Race Segment |
NBC | 11.9 | 20.40M |
| 8 | CFB | Michigan St./Stanford Rose Bowl |
ESPN | 10.2 | 18.64M |
| 9 | NBA | Heat/Spurs NBA Finals Game 5 |
ABC | 10.3 | 18.00M |
| 10 | FIFA | Netherlands/Mexico World Cup Round of 16 |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 16.96M |
| 11 | CFB | Oklahoma/Alabama Sugar Bowl |
ESPN | 9.3 | 16.34M |
| 12 | CBB | Kentucky/Wisconsin Final Four |
TBS, TNT, TruTV | 9.2 | 16.25M |
| 13 | FIFA | USA/Ghana World Cup Group Play |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 15.94M |
| 14 | Horse | Kentucky Derby Race Segment |
NBC | 9.4 | 15.30M |
| 15 | NBA | Heat/Spurs NBA Finals Game 2 |
ABC | 9.0 | 15.13M |
| 16 | NBA | Spurs/Heat NBA Finals Game 4 |
ABC | 9.3 | 14.96M |
| 17 | NBA | Heat/Spurs NBA Finals Game 1 |
ABC | 9.0 | 14.85M |
| 18 | NBA | Spurs/Heat NBA Finals Game 3 |
ABC | 9.0 | 14.78M |
| 19 | CBB | Kentucky/Michigan Elite Eight |
CBS | 8.9 | 14.64M |
| 20 | FIFA | Germany/USA World Cup Group Play |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 14.16M |
| 21 | CFB | Auburn/Alabama Regular Season |
ESPN | 7.4 | 13.53M |
| 22 | MLB | Giants/Royals World Series Game 6 |
FOX | 8.1 | 13.37M |
| 23 | CFB | Notre Dame/FSU Regular Season |
ABC | 7.9 | 13.25M |
| 24 | MLB | Giants/Royals World Series Game 2 |
FOX | 7.9 | 12.92M |
| 25 | CFB | Alabama/Missouri Regular Season |
CBS | 7.8 | 12.80M |
| 26 | MLB | Royals/Giants World Series Game 5 |
FOX | 7.3 | 12.64M |
| 27 | FIFA | Germany/Brazil World Cup Semifinal |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 12.40M |
| 28 | FIFA | Argentina/Netherlands World Cup Semifinal |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 12.20M |
| 29 | MLB | Giants/Royals World Series Game 1 |
FOX | 7.3 | 12.19M |
| 30 | MLB | Royals/Giants World Series Game 3 |
FOX | 7.2 | 12.13M |
| 31 | CBB | Kentucky/Wichita St. Third Round |
CBS | 7.5 | 12.09M |
| 32 | FIFA | Brazil/Colombia World Cup Quarterfinal |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 11.84M |
| 33 | CBB | UConn/Florida Final Four |
TBS, TNT, TruTV | 6.9 | 11.65M |
| 34 | CBB | UNC/Iowa St. Third Round |
CBS | 7.0 | 11.62M |
| 35 | CFB | Clemson/Ohio St. Orange Bowl (January) |
ESPN | 6.7 | 11.40M |
| 36 | MLB | MLB All-Star Game | FOX | 7.0 | 11.34M |
| 37 | CFB | UCF/Baylor Fiesta Bowl (January) |
ESPN | 6.6 | 11.24M |
| 38 | FIFA | Brazil/Mexico World Cup Group Play |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 11.08M |
| 39 | Golf | The Masters Final Round |
CBS | 6.8 | 10.97M |
| 40 | FIFA | Netherlands/Costa Rica World Cup Quarterfinal |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 10.92M |
| 41 | FIFA | Costa Rica/Greece World Cup Round of 16 |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 10.78M |
| 42 | MLB | Royals/Giants World Series Game 4 |
FOX | 6.3 | 10.74M |
| 43 | FIFA | Brazil/Chile World Cup Round of 16 |
ABC, Univ. | N/A | 10.71M |
| 44 | CFB | Miss. St./Alabama Regular Season |
CBS | 6.4 | 10.27M |
| 45 | CFB | Georgia Tech/FSU ACC Championship |
ABC | 6.2 | 10.15M |
| 46 | CBB | Kentucky/Louisville Sweet Sixteen |
CBS | 5.9 | 10.09M |
| 47 | CBB | Wisconsin/Arizona Elite Eight |
TBS | 5.8 | 9.97M |
| 48 | CBB | UConn/Michigan St. Elite Eight |
CBS | 6.1 | 9.80M |
| 49 | FIFA | Mexico/Croatia World Cup Group Play |
ESPN, Univ. | N/A | 9.64M |
| 50 | Horse | The Preakness Stakes Race Segment |
NBC | 6.0 | 9.63M |
Most-Watched Events By Sport
| Sport | Event | Net | Rating | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | Seahawks/Broncos Super Bowl 48 |
FOX | 46.7 | 112.19M |
| Soccer | Germany/Argentina World Cup Final |
ABC, Univ. | N/A | 26.50M |
| CFB | FSU/Auburn BCS Championship |
ESPN | 14.8 | 26.06M |
| MLB | Giants/Royals World Series Game 7 |
FOX | 13.7 | 23.52M |
| CBB | Connecticut/Kentucky National Championship |
CBS | 12.4 | 21.20M |
| Horse | The Belmont Stakes Race Segment |
NBC | 11.9 | 20.40M |
| NBA | Heat/Spurs NBA Finals Game 5 |
ABC | 10.3 | 18.00M |
| Golf (M) | The Masters Final Round |
CBS | 6.8 | 10.97M |
| NSCS | Daytona 500 | FOX |
5.6
|
9.30M
|
| NHL | Rangers/Kings Stanley Cup Final Game 2 |
NBC | 3.7 | 6.41M |
| IndyCar | Indianapolis 500 | ABC | 3.9 | 6.20M |
| Tennis (W) | S. Williams/Wozniacki U.S. Open Final |
CBS |
2.9
|
4.50M
|
| WCBB | UConn/Notre Dame National Championship |
ESPN | 2.8 | 4.27M |
| MMA | UFC on FOX 10 | FOX |
1.9
|
3.17M
|
| Tennis (M) | Djokovic/Federer Wimbledon Final |
ESPN |
1.9
|
2.82M
|
| Golf (W) | U.S. Women’s Open Final Round |
NBC |
1.4
|
2.00M
|
| WNBA | Mercury/Lynx West Finals Game 2 |
ABC |
0.6
|
828K
|
