After all the sound and fury, the NFL still dominated the list of most-watched sporting events in 2017. [Click here to jump straight to the main list, here for the list with the NFL excluded, and here for a list of the most-watched events by sport and network.]
The NFL generated 40 of the 50 top sports audiences in the U.S. in 2017, compared to 33 last year and 43 in the last non-Olympic year in 2015. Super Bowl 51 led the way with 111.3 million viewers (113.0M with streaming included), followed by the Packers-Cowboys NFC Divisional Round game (48.5M on TV, 48.9M including streaming). The 2017 regular season alone accounted for 27 of the top 50, more than half the list.
For the second straight year, Game 7 of the World Series was the top non-NFL event. Astros-Dodgers had 28.3 million viewers (28.6 million with streaming included), ranking tenth overall.
College football clocked in at #15, with last year’s Clemson-Alabama national championship scoring 25.3 million (26.0M including streaming). Keep in mind Monday’s New Year’s Day playoff games do not count toward the 2017 list.
A short NBA Finals topped out at 24.5 million viewers (25.1M including streaming) for the clinching Game 5, ranking 18th on the list. The NBA had four appearances in the top 50, more than any other non-NFL event.
College basketball’s top audience placed 24th, 23.0 million for North Carolina-Gonzaga in last year’s title game. The UNC-Oregon national semifinal was the least-watched sporting event to crack the top 50 since this site began doing these lists in 2010, with ranking 50th with 18.8 million viewers.
Top Sports Audiences of 2017
TV+streaming viewership in parentheses
| SportsMediaWatch.com | |||||
| # | Sport | Game | Rtg. | Vwrs. | Net |
| 1 | NFL | Patriots-Falcons Super Bowl 51 |
45.3 | 111.32M (113.04M) |
FOX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | NFL | Packers-Cowboys NFC Divisional |
26.1 | 48.52M (48.89M) |
FOX |
| 3 | NFL | Steelers-Patriots AFC Championship |
24.4 | 47.95M | CBS |
| 4 | NFL | Packers-Falcons NFC Championship |
25.0 | 46.28M (46.61M) |
FOX |
| 5 | NFL | Giants-Packers NFC Wild Card |
21.3 | 39.35M | FOX |
| 6 | NFL | Steelers-Chiefs AFC Divisional |
19.8 | 37.11M (37.37M) |
NBC |
| 7 | NFL | Dolphins-Steelers AFC Wild Card |
17.5 | 29.87M | CBS |
| 8 | NFL | Texans-Patriots AFC Divisional |
16.0 | 29.82M | CBS |
| 9 | NFL | Seahawks-Falcons NFC Divisional |
16.2 | 28.70M | FOX |
| 10 | MLB | Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 7 |
15.8 | 28.29M (28.58M) |
FOX |
| 11 | NFL | Lions-Seahawks NFC Wild Card |
14.8 | 26.89M | NBC |
| 12 | NFL | Patriots-Steelers (91%) Week 15 Late DH |
15.2 | 26.88M | CBS |
| 13 | NFL | Chargers-Cowboys Thanksgiving Special |
11.1 | 26.28M | CBS |
| 14 | NFL | Cowboys-Broncos (81%) Week 2 Nat’l Window |
14.3 | 25.97M | FOX |
| 15 | CFB | Clemson-Alabama National Championship |
14.2 | 25.27M (26.03M) |
ESPN Megacast |
| 16 | NFL | Raiders-Texans AFC Wild Card |
14.4 | 25.06M | ESPN & ABC |
| 17 | NFL | Vikings-Lions Thanksgiving Special |
11.4 | 24.74M | FOX |
| 18 | NBA | Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals Game 5 |
13.5 | 24.53M (25.07M) |
ABC |
| 19 | NFL | Giants-Cowboys Week 1 SNF |
13.4 | 24.37M | NBC |
| 20 | NFL | Packers-Cowboys Week 5 Late DH |
13.6 | 23.86M | FOX |
| 21 | NFL | Packers-Lions Week 17 SNF (2016-17) |
13.0 | 23.82M | NBC |
| 22 | NFL | Eagles-Rams (90%) Week 14 Late DH |
13.7 | 23.78M | FOX |
| 23 | NFL | Seahawks-Cowboys (87%) Week 16 Late DH |
12.2 | 23.03M | FOX |
| 24 | CBB | UNC-Gonzaga National Championship |
13.2 | 23.00M | CBS |
| 25 | NFL | Seahawks-Packers (89%) Week 1 Nat’l Window |
12.7 | 22.80M | FOX |
| 26 | NFL | Giants-Washington (76%) Week 17 Late DH (2016-17) |
12.3 | 22.44M | FOX |
| 27 | MLB | Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 6 |
12.6 | 22.33M (22.57M) |
FOX |
| 28 | NFL | Cowboys-Washington Week 8 Late DH |
12.7 | 22.02M (22.15M) |
FOX |
| 29 | NFL | Cowboys-Falcons (86%) Week 10 Late DH |
12.8 | 21.96M | FOX |
| 30 | NFL | Chiefs-Patriots Kickoff Game |
12.6 | 21.80M (22.2M) |
NBC |
| 31 | NFL | Chiefs-Cowboys Week 9 Late DH |
12.5 | 21.68M | CBS |
| 32 | NFL | Bengals-Packers (80%) Week 3 Late DH |
12.2 | 21.27M | CBS |
| 33 | NFL | Cowboys-Eagles Week 11 SNF |
11.9 | 21.06M (21.25M) |
NBC |
| 34 | NFL | Panthers-Falcons (72%) Week 17 Late DH (2017-18) |
11.45 | 20.78M | FOX |
| 35 | NFL | Steelers-Chiefs (86%) Week 6 Late DH |
12.0 | 20.59M | CBS |
| 36 | NFL | Packers-Falcons Week 2 SNF |
11.3 | 20.24M | NBC |
| 37 | NFL | Panthers-Saints (72%) Week 13 Late DH |
12.0 | 20.22M | FOX |
| 38 | NBA | Warriors-Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 3 |
11.3 | 20.10M (20.54M) |
ABC |
| 39 | NFL | Rams-Cowboys (32%) Week 4 Singleheader |
11.5 | 20.06M | FOX |
| 40 | NFL | Saints-Rams (82%) Week 13 Late DH |
11.6 | 19.90M | CBS |
| 41 | NFL | Bengals-Steelers (63%) Week 7 Late DH |
11.3 | 19.85M | CBS |
| 42 | NBA | Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals Game 2 |
10.7 | 19.73M (20.16M) |
ABC |
| 43 | NFL | Eagles-Seahawks Week 13 SNF |
11.3 | 19.69M (19.9M) |
NBC |
| 44 | NFL | Falcons-Patriots Week 7 SNF |
11.0 | 19.24M (19.4M) |
NBC |
| 45 | NFL | Cowboys-Raiders Week 15 SNF |
11.1 | 19.19M | NBC |
| 46 | NBA | Warriors-Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 4 |
10.7 | 19.06M (19.44M) |
ABC |
| 47 | NFL | Patriots-Raiders (86%) Week 11 Late DH |
10.9 | 19.03M | CBS |
| 48 | NFL | Packers-Steelers Week 12 SNF |
11.0 | 18.95M (19.0M) |
NBC |
| 49 | MLB | Dodgers-Astros World Series Game 5 |
10.5 | 18.94M (19.11M) |
FOX |
| 50 | CBB | UNC-Oregon Final Four |
10.4 | 18.83M | CBS |
Top Sports Audiences of 2017, Excluding NFL
TV+streaming viewership in parentheses
| SportsMediaWatch.com | |||||
| # | Sport | Game | Rtg. | Vwrs. | Net |
| 1 | MLB | Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 7 |
15.8 | 28.29M (28.58M) |
FOX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | CFB | Clemson-Alabama National Championship |
14.2 | 25.27M (26.03M) |
ESPN Megacast |
| 3 | NBA | Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals Game 5 |
13.5 | 24.53M (25.07M) |
ABC |
| 4 | CBB | UNC-Gonzaga National Championship |
13.2 | 23.00M | CBS |
| 5 | MLB | Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 6 |
12.6 | 22.33M (22.57M) |
FOX |
| 6 | NBA | Warriors-Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 3 |
11.3 | 20.10M (20.54M) |
ABC |
| 7 | NBA | Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals Game 2 |
10.7 | 19.73M (20.16M) |
ABC |
| 8 | NBA | Warriors-Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 4 |
10.7 | 19.06M (19.44M) |
ABC |
| 9 | MLB | Dodgers-Astros World Series Game 5 |
10.5 | 18.94M (19.11M) |
FOX |
| 10 | CBB | UNC-Oregon Final Four |
10.4 | 18.83M | CBS |
| 11 | NBA | Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals Game 1 |
10.5 | 18.74M (19.24M) |
ABC |
| 12 | Horse | Kentucky Derby Race portion |
9.3 | 16.45M (16.54M) |
NBC |
| 13 | CFB | USC-Penn State 2016-17 Rose Bowl |
8.6 | 15.74M (16.04M) |
ESPN |
| 14 | MLB | Dodgers-Astros World Series Game 3 |
8.9 | 15.68M (15.80M) |
FOX |
| 15 | MLB | Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 2 |
9.2 | 15.50M (15.65M) |
FOX |
| 16 | CBB | UNC-Kentucky Elite Eight |
8.9 | 15.47M | CBS |
| 17 | MLB | Dodgers-Astros World Series Game 4 |
8.7 | 15.40M (15.53M) |
FOX |
| 18 | MLB | Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 1 |
8.7 | 14.98M (15.12M) |
FOX |
| 19 | CBB | Gonzaga-So. Carolina Final Four |
8.5 | 14.68M | CBS |
| 20 | CFB | Alabama-Auburn Regular Season |
7.6 | 13.66M | CBS |
| 21 | CFB | Georgia-Auburn SEC Championship |
8.0 | 13.47M | CBS |
| 22 | CFB | Ohio State-Wisconsin Big Ten Championship |
7.3 | 12.92M (13.05M) |
FOX |
| 23 | CFB | Alabama-FSU Regular Season |
6.9 | 12.34M (12.56M) |
ABC |
| 24 | Auto | Daytona 500 NASCAR Cup Series |
6.6 | 11.92M (11.96M) |
FOX |
| 25 | CFB | Wisconsin-Miami 2017-18 Orange Bowl |
6.3 | (11.73M) | ESPN |
| 26 | Golf | The Masters Final Round |
6.8 | 11.05M | CBS |
| 27 | CBB | Kansas-Michigan State NCAA Second Round |
6.5 | 10.96M | CBS |
| 28 | CFB | Ohio State-Michigan Regular Season |
6.1 | 10.51M | FOX |
| 29 | CBB | Kentucky-Wichita State NCAA Second Round |
6.3 | 10.30M | CBS |
| 30 | CFB | Penn State-Washington 2017-18 Fiesta Bowl |
5.7 | (10.17M) | ESPN |
| 31 | CBB | Kentucky-UCLA Sweet Sixteen |
5.9 | 10.00M | CBS |
| 32 | MLB | Yankees-Astros ALCS Game 7 |
5.4 | 9.92M (10.08M) |
FS1 |
| 33 | CFB | Penn State-Ohio State Regular Season |
5.8 | 9.87M (9.97M) |
FOX |
| 34 | CBB | South Carolina-Florida Elite Eight |
5.9 | 9.67M | CBS |
| 35 | CFB | Oklahoma-Auburn 2016-17 Sugar Bowl |
5.6 | 9.52M (9.71M) |
ESPN |
| 36 | CFB | Ohio State-USC 2017-18 Cotton Bowl |
5.4 | (9.47M) | ESPN |
| 37 | CBB | Wisconsin-Villanova NCAA Second Round |
5.9 | 9.38M | CBS |
| 38 | CBB | Oregon-Kansas Elite Eight |
5.4 | 9.31M | TBS |
| 39 | MLB | MLB All-Star Game | 5.5 | 9.28M (9.33M) |
FOX |
| 40 | NBA | Cavaliers-Warriors Christmas Day |
4.5 | 8.82M | ABC |
| 41 | CBB | Gonzaga-Northwestern NCAA Second Round |
5.2 | 8.70M | CBS |
| 42 | MLB | Home Run Derby | 4.6 | 8.47M (8.56M) |
ESPN & ESPN2 |
| 43 | CFB | Army-Navy Regular Season |
5.2 | 8.42M | CBS |
| 44 | MLB | Yankees-Astros ALCS Game 6 |
4.8 | 8.23M (8.34M) |
FS1 |
| 45 | NBA | Spurs-Warriors West Finals Game 1 |
4.6 | 8.13M (8.31M) |
ABC |
| 46 | CFB | Oklahoma-Ohio State Regular Season |
4.6 | 8.08M (8.26M) |
ABC |
| 47 | NBA | NBA All-Star Game | 4.2 | 7.75M | TNT & TBS |
| 48 | CFB | Michigan-Florida Regular Season |
4.9 | 7.65M (7.81M) |
ABC |
| 49 | Horse | Preakness Stakes Race Portion |
4.6 | 7.54M | NBC |
| 50 | CFB | Georgia-Auburn Regular Season |
4.4 | 7.41M | CBS |
