This page includes the 50 most-watched sporting events of 2016 outside of the NFL and the Olympics. For the full list with those included, click here. For a list of the most-watched events by sport and network, click here.
| MOST-WATCHED SPORTING EVENTS OF 2016 Excluding the NFL and Olympics |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Sport | Game | Rtg. | Vwrs. | Net |
| 1 | MLB | Cubs/Indians World Series Game 7 |
21.8 | 40.05M | FOX |
| 2 | NBA | Cavaliers/Warriors NBA Finals Game 7 |
15.8 | 31.02M | ABC |
| 3 | CFB | Alabama/Clemson Nat’l Championship |
15.0 | 26.18M | ESPN Megacast |
| 4 | MLB | Indians/Cubs World Series Game 5 |
13.1 | 23.64M | FOX |
| 5 | MLB | Cubs/Indians World Series Game 6 |
13.3 | 23.40M | FOX |
| 6 | NBA | Warriors/Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 6 |
11.8 | 20.70M | ABC |
| 7 | NBA | Cavaliers/Warriors NBA Finals Game 5 |
11.8 | 20.53M | ABC |
| 8 | MLB | Indians/Cubs World Series Game 3 |
11.0 | 19.38M | FOX |
| 9 | MLB | Cubs/Indians World Series Game 1 |
11.3 | 19.37M | FOX |
| 10 | CFB | Alabama/Washington 2016-17 Peach Bowl |
10.7 | 19.34M | ESPN, ESPN2 |
| 11 | CFB | Clemson/Ohio State 2016-17 Fiesta Bowl |
9.8 | 19.24M | ESPN, ESPN2 |
| 12 | NBA | Cavaliers/Warriors NBA Finals Game 1 |
11.1 | 19.20M | ABC |
| 13 | CBB | Villanova/UNC Nat’l Championship |
10.6 | 17.75M | TBS, TNT, TruTV |
| Lowest rated nat’l championship game ever | |||||
| 14 | NBA | Cavaliers/Warriors NBA Finals Game 2 |
9.8 | 17.49M | ABC |
| 15 | MLB | Cubs/Indians World Series Game 2 |
10.2 | 17.40M | FOX |
| 16 | CFB | Michigan/Ohio State Regular Season |
9.4 | 16.84M | ABC |
| 17 | MLB | Indians/Cubs World Series Game 4 |
9.3 | 16.71M | FOX |
| 18 | NBA | Warriors/Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 4 |
9.8 | 16.57M | ABC |
| 19 | NBA | Warriors/Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 3 |
9.7 | 16.47M | ABC |
| 20 | NBA | Thunder/Warriors West Finals Game 7 |
8.9 | 16.00M | TNT |
| Most-watched NBA game ever on cable | |||||
| 21 | Horse | Kentucky Derby Race segment |
9.0 | 15.53M | NBC |
| 22 | CFB | Stanford/Iowa 2015-16 Rose Bowl |
7.4 | 13.55M | ESPN |
| Lowest rated Rose Bowl ever | |||||
| 23 | CBB | UNC/Syracuse NCAA Final Four |
7.3 | 12.94M | TBS, TNT, TruTV |
| 24 | Golf | The Masters Final round |
7.7 | 12.40M | CBS |
| 25 | CFB | FSU/Michigan 2016-17 Orange Bowl |
— | 11.70M | ESPN |
| 26 | CBB | Villanova/Kansas Elite Eight |
6.7 | 11.56M | CBS |
| 27 | NSCR | Daytona 500 Cup Series |
6.6 | 11.36M | FOX |
| 28 | CFB | Alabama/Florida SEC Championship |
6.6 | 11.09M | CBS |
| 29 | CFB | Notre Dame/Texas Regular Season |
6.4 | 10.95M | ABC |
| 30 | NBA | Warriors/Thunder West Finals Game 6 |
6.2 | 10.81M | TNT |
| 31 | CBB | Kentucky/Indiana NCAA Second round |
6.3 | 10.49M | CBS |
| 32 | CBB | Villanova/Oklahoma NCAA Final Four |
6.1 | 10.45M | TBS, TNT, TruTV |
| 33 | CFB | Alabama/LSU Regular Season |
5.8 | 10.39M | CBS |
| 34 | NBA | Warriors/Cavaliers Christmas special |
4.9 | 10.14M | ABC |
| 35 | CBB | UNC/Notre Dame NCAA Elite Eight |
5.8 | 10.11M | TBS |
| 36 | NBA | Thunder/Warriors West Finals Game 5 |
6.1 | 10.00M | TNT |
| 37 | SOC | Chile/Argentina Copa America final |
— | 9.80M | UNI, FS1 |
| 38 | CFB | Ohio St./Notre Dame 2015-16 Fiesta Bowl |
5.6 | 9.76M | ESPN |
| 39 | MLB | Dodgers/Cubs NLCS Game 6 |
5.2 | 9.71M | FS1 |
| 40 | Horse | Preakness Stakes Race segment |
5.8 | 9.41M | NBC |
| 41 | CFB | Louisville/Clemson Regular Season |
5.5 | 9.29M | ABC |
| 42 | CFB | Penn State/Wisconsin Big Ten Championship |
5.3 | 9.19M | FOX |
| 43 | CFB | Ohio State/Wisconsin Regular Season |
5.2 | 8.96M | ABC |
| 44 | CFB | Mississippi/Okla. St. 2015-16 Sugar Bowl |
5.1 | 8.94M | ESPN |
| Lowest rated Sugar Bowl since 1991 | |||||
| 45 | CFB | Michigan/Florida 2015-16 Citrus Bowl |
5.1 | 8.76M | ABC |
| 46 | MLB | All-Star Game | 5.4 | 8.71M | FOX |
| 47 | NBA | Thunder/Warriors West Finals Game 1 |
5.3 | 8.71M | TNT |
| 48 | NBA | Warriors/Thunder West Finals Game 4 |
5.4 | 8.63M | TNT |
| 49 | CFB | Texas A&M/Alabama Regular Season |
5.0 | 8.46M | CBS |
| 50 | CBB | Notre Dame/S.F. Austin NCAA Second round |
5.4 | 8.39M | CBS |
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