This page includes the most-watched sporting events of 2017 by sport and by television network. For the full list of the top 50 events, click here. For a list of the top 50 excluding the NFL and the Olympics, click here.
Top Sports Audiences of 2017 By Sport
TV+streaming viewership in parentheses
| SportsMediaWatch.com | ||||
| Sport | Game | Rtg. | Vwrs. | Net |
| NFL | Patriots-Falcons Super Bowl 51 |
45.3 | 111.32M (113.04M) |
FOX |
| MLB | Astros-Dodgers World Series Game 7 |
15.8 | 28.29M (28.58M) |
FOX |
| CFB | Clemson-Alabama National Championship |
14.2 | 25.27M (26.03M) |
ESPN |
| NBA | Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals Game 5 |
13.5 | 24.53M (25.07M) |
ABC |
| CBB | UNC-Gonzaga National Championship |
13.2 | 23.00M | CBS |
| Horse | Kentucky Derby Race segment |
9.3 | 16.45M (16.54M) |
NBC |
| NASCAR | Daytona 500 Cup Series |
6.6 | 11.92M (11.96M) |
FOX |
| PGA | The Masters Final Round |
6.8 | 11.05M | CBS |
| NHL | Penguins-Predators Stanley Cup Final Game 6 |
3.9 | 6.99M (7.09M) |
NBC |
| Soccer | U.S.-Mexico FIFA World Cup Qualifier |
n.a. | 6.80M | UNI & FS1 |
| IndyCar | Indianapolis 500 | 3.4 | 5.46M | ABC |
| WCBB | So. Carolina-Miss. St. National Championship |
2.3 | 3.83M (3.89M) |
ESPN |
| Boxing | Thurman-Garcia Premier Boxing Champs. |
1.9 | 3.06M | CBS |
| Figure Skating | U.S. Fig. Skt. Champ. Women’s Free Skate |
1.8 | 2.81M | NBC |
| Tennis (M) | Federer-Cilic Wimbledon final |
1.5 | 2.32M | ESPN |
| MMA | UFC on FOX 23 | 1.3 | 2.19M | FOX |
| Tennis (W) | Muguruza-Venus W. Wimbledon final |
1.4 | 2.04M | ESPN |
| NHRA | New Jersey | 1.0 | 1.62M | FS1 |
| F1 | Monaco GP | 1.0 | 1.44M | NBC |
| LPGA | Women’s British Open Final Round |
0.8 | 1.10M | NBC |
| WNBA | Sparks-Lynx WNBA Finals Game 5 |
0.6 | (902K) | ESPN |
Top Sports Audiences of 2017 By Network
TV+streaming viewership in parentheses
| SportsMediaWatch.com | |||
| Net | Game | Rtg. | Vwrs. |
| FOX | Patriots-Falcons Super Bowl 51 |
45.3 | 111.32M (113.04M) |
| CBS | Steelers-Patriots AFC Championship |
24.4 | 47.95M |
| NBC | Steelers-Chiefs AFC Divisional |
19.8 | 37.11M (37.37M) |
| ESPN | Clemson-Alabama Nat’l Championship |
14.2 | 25.27M (26.03M) |
| ABC | Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals Game 5 |
13.5 | 24.53M (25.07M) |
| FS1 | Yankees-Astros ALCS Game 7 |
5.4 | 9.92M (10.08M) |
| Turner Sports | Oregon-Kansas NCAA Elite Eight |
5.4 | 9.31M |
| NFL Network | Texans-Bengals Week 2 TNF |
4.9 | 8.08M |
| NBCSN | Pocono (July 30) NASCAR Cup Series |
2.2 | 3.67M |
| MLB Network | Yankees-Indians ALDS Game 2 |
1.9 | 3.20M |
| Golf Channel | Pebble Beach Final Round (90 min) |
0.75 | 1.17M |
| NBA TV | Warriors-Rockets Reg. season (2016-17) |
0.49 | 748K |
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