In a year with an Olympics and World Cup, 80 percent of the top sports audiences in 2018 belonged to the NFL. [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 top 50 U.S. sports audiences in 2018, the same as last year, and up from the previous Olympic/World Cup year in 2014 (37). Super Bowl 52 led the way with 103.39 million viewers, the smallest audience for the game since 2009, but still the tenth-largest audience in U.S. TV history.
The Alabama-Georgia college football national championship was the top non-NFL event, scoring a 15.6 rating and 28.44 million on the ESPN family of networks. That was followed by the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics on NBC (14.7, 27.84M).
College football and the Olympics were the only non-NFL events to crack the top 50. Outside of football and the Olympics, no sporting event in 2018 cracked 19 million viewers, with Game 2 of the NBA Finals coming closest (10.3, 18.47M).
2018 was the first year on record in which no sporting event outside of football and the Olympics cracked 19 million viewers. Even in other relatively lean years, at least one event would slip past the 19 million mark.
(All viewership figures for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU include streaming viewership. For all other networks — including ABC — viewership only includes streaming if enclosed within parentheses.)
Top Sports Audiences of 2018
| SportsMediaWatch.com | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | SPORT | GAME | RTG | VWRS | NET |
| 1 | NFL | Eagles-Patriots Super Bowl 52 |
43.1 | 103.39M (106M) |
NBC |
| 2 | NFL | Jaguars-Patriots AFC Championship |
24.3 | 44.08M | CBS |
| 3 | NFL | Vikings-Eagles NFC Championship |
21.7 | 42.30M (42.77M) |
FOX |
| 4 | NFL | Saints-Vikings NFC Divisional |
19.3 | 35.65M (36.02M) |
FOX |
| 5 | NFL | Jaguars-Steelers AFC Divisional |
18.3 | 31.45M | CBS |
| 6 | NFL | Panthers-Saints NFC Wild Card |
17.5 | 31.15M | FOX |
| 7 | NFL | Washington-Cowboys Thanksgiving special |
12.5 | 30.48M | FOX |
| 8 | CFB | Alabama-Georgia National Championship |
15.6 | 28.44M | ESPN, ESPN2 ESPNU |
| 9 | OLY | Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony |
14.7 | 27.84M | NBC |
| 10 | NFL | Falcons-Eagles NFC Divisional |
15.5 | 27.07M | NBC |
| 11 | CFB | Georgia-Oklahoma Rose Bowl |
13.7 | 26.91M | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 12 | NFL | Titans-Patriots AFC Divisional |
14.5 | 26.69M | CBS |
| 13 | NFL | Bears-Lions Thanksgiving special |
12.3 | 26.50M | CBS |
| 14 | OLY | Winter Olympics Night 2 |
14.2 | (26.0M) | NBC/NBCSN |
| 15 | NFL | Bills-Jaguars AFC Wild Card |
15.2 | 25.30M | CBS |
| 16 | NFL | Eagles-Cowboys (84%) Week 14 Nat’l Window |
14.2 | 25.12M | FOX |
| 17 | NFL | Patriots-Steelers Week 15 Nat’l Window |
14.2 | 24.57M | CBS |
| 18 | OLY | Winter Olympics Night 1 |
13.1 | (24.2M) | NBC/NBCSN |
| 19 | NFL | Steelers-Saints Week 16 Nat’l Window |
13.4 | 23.92M | CBS |
| 20 | NFL | Patriots-Packers Week 9 SNF |
13.7 | 23.68M (24.1M) |
NBC |
| 21 | NFL | Steelers-Broncos (87%) Week 12 Nat’l Window |
13.5 | 23.66M | CBS |
| 22 | NFL | Cowboys-Panthers (80%) Week 1 Nat’l Window |
13.1 | 23.30M | FOX |
| 23 | NFL | Vikings-Patriots (90%) Week 13 Nat’l Window |
13.5 | 23.20M | FOX |
| 24 | NFL | Falcons-Rams NFC Wild Card |
12.8 | 22.82M | NBC |
| 25 | OLY | Winter Olympics Night 4 |
13.1 | (22.6M) | NBC/NBCSN |
| 26 | OLY | Winter Olympics Night 3 |
12.7 | (22.3M) | NBC/NBCSN |
| 27 | NFL | Cowboys-Seahawks (85%) Week 3 Nat’l Window |
12.7 | 22.20M | FOX |
| 28 | NFL | Titans-Chiefs AFC Wild Card |
13.0 | 22.18M | ABC/ESPN |
| 29 | NFL | Rams-Saints Week 9 Nat’l Window |
13.0 | 22.12M | FOX |
| 30 | NFL | Bears-Packers Week 1 SNF |
12.5 | 22.12M | NBC |
| 31 | NFL | Packers-Rams (94%) Week 8 Nat’l Window |
12.8 | 21.88M | FOX |
| 32 | NFL | Falcons-Saints Thanksgiving special |
10.1 | 21.70M (21.9M) |
NBC |
| 33 | CFB | Alabama-Clemson Sugar Bowl |
11.4 | 21.47M | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 34 | NFL | Saints-Cowboys Week 13 TNF |
12.5 | 21.32M (22.2M) |
FOX/NFLN |
| 35 | NFL | Bears-Vikings (49%) Week 17 Nat’l Window |
11.7 | 21.21M | FOX |
| 36 | NFL | Chiefs-Patriots Week 6 SNF |
12.3 | 21.11M (21.5M) |
NBC |
| 37 | NFL | Vikings-Eagles (82%) Week 5 Nat’l Window |
12.2 | 21.04M | FOX |
| 38 | NFL | Patriots-Jaguars (79%) Week 2 Nat’l Window |
12.0 | 20.97M | CBS |
| 39 | NFL | Cowboys-Washington (80%) Week 7 Nat’l Window |
12.2 | 20.88M | CBS |
| 40 | NFL | Seahawks-Rams (76%) Week 10 Nat’l Window |
12.1 | 20.79M | CBS |
| 41 | NFL | Saints-Giants (74%) Week 4 Nat’l Window |
12.1 | 20.69M | CBS |
| 42 | NFL | Giants-Cowboys Week 2 SNF |
11.7 | 20.66M (21.0M) |
NBC |
| 43 | OLY | Winter Olympics Night 11 |
12.1 | (20.5M) | NBC/NBCSN |
| 44 | NFL | Packers-Vikings Week 12 SNF |
11.6 | 20.44M | NBC |
| 45 | NFL | Cowboys-Eagles Week 10 SNF |
11.5 | 20.10M | NBC |
| 46 | NFL | Cowboys-Colts (46%) Week 15 Singleheader |
11.7 | 20.03M | FOX |
| 47 | NFL | Chiefs-Seahawks Week 16 SNF |
10.9 | 19.57M | NBC |
| 48 | NFL | Patriots-Lions Week 3 SNF |
11.5 | 19.46M (19.8M) |
NBC |
| 49 | NFL | Rams-Bears Week 14 SNF |
11.2 | 19.39M | NBC |
| 50 | OLY | Winter Olympics Night 6 |
11.4 | (19.3M) | NBC/NBCSN |
Top Sports Audiences of 2018, Excluding NFL/Olympics
| SportsMediaWatch.com | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | SPORT | GAME | RTG | VWRS | NET |
| 1 | CFB | Alabama-Georgia National Championship |
15.6 | 28.44M | ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU |
| 2 | CFB | Georgia-Oklahoma Rose Bowl |
13.7 | 26.91M | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 3 | CFB | Alabama-Clemson Sugar Bowl |
11.4 | 21.47M | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 4 | CFB | Alabama-Oklahoma Orange Bowl (Dec.) |
9.9 | 19.07M | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 5 | NBA | Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals Game 2 |
10.3 | 18.47M | ABC |
| 6 | NBA | Warriors-Cavs NBA Finals Game 3 |
10.4 | 17.85M | ABC |
| 7 | FIFA | France-Croatia World Cup Final |
— | 17.83M | FOX/TELE |
| 8 | NBA | Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals Game 1 |
10.0 | 17.67M | ABC |
| 9 | MLB | Red Sox-Dodgers World Series Game 5 |
10.0 | 17.64M (17.88M) |
FOX |
| 10 | CFB | Alabama-Georgia SEC Championship |
10.1 | 17.50M | CBS |
| 11 | CFB | Clemson-Notre Dame Cotton Bowl (Dec.) |
9.4 | 16.81M | ESPN |
| 12 | NBA | Warriors-Cavs NBA Finals Game 4 |
9.3 | 16.24M | ABC |
| 13 | CBB | Villanova-Michigan National Championship |
9.2 | 15.97M (16.5M) |
Turner |
| 14 | CBB | Kansas-Duke Elite Eight |
9.2 | 15.44M | CBS |
| 15 | NBA | Warriors-Rockets West Finals Game 7 |
8.1 | 14.93M | TNT |
| 16 | Horse | Kentucky Derby Race segment |
8.5 | 14.88M (15.0M) |
NBC |
| 17 | MLB | Dodgers-Red Sox World Series Game 1 |
8.2 | 13.76M (13.97M) |
FOX |
| 18 | NBA | Cavs-Celtics East Finals Game 7 |
7.3 | 13.59M | ESPN |
| 19 | MLB | Red Sox-Dodgers World Series Game 4 |
7.9 | 13.56M (13.74M) |
FOX |
| 20 | MLB | Dodgers-Red Sox World Series Game 2 |
8.1 | 13.46M (13.63M) |
FOX |
| 21 | MLB | Red Sox-Dodgers World Series Game 3 |
7.9 | 13.25M (13.43M) |
FOX |
| 22 | CFB | Michigan-Ohio State Regular season |
7.5 | 13.20M (13.35M) |
FOX |
| 23 | CBB | Michigan-Loyola (Chicago) Final Four |
7.2 | 13.15M | Turner |
| 24 | CBB | Villanova-Kansas Final Four |
6.8 | 13.09M | Turner |
| 25 | Golf | The Masters Final Round |
7.9 | 13.03M | CBS |
| 26 | Horse | Belmont Stakes Race segment |
7.5 | 12.66M | NBC |
| 27 | FIFA | Mexico-Germany World Cup Group Play |
— | 11.62M | TELE/FS1 |
| 28 | CFB | Alabama-LSU Regular season |
6.6 | 11.54M | CBS |
| 29 | FIFA | Mexico-South Korea World Cup Group Play |
— | 11.39M | TELE/FOX |
| 30 | NBA | Lakers-Warriors Christmas special |
5.3 | 10.21M | ABC/ESPN |
| 31 | CFB | Oklahoma-Texas Big 12 Championship |
6.2 | 10.16M | ABC |
| 32 | FIFA | Uruguay-Portugal World Cup Rd. of 16 |
— | 10.09M | FOX/TELE |
| 33 | CBB | Michigan-FSU Elite Eight |
5.3 | 9.71M | TBS |
| 34 | FIFA | Brazil-Mexico World Cup Round of 16 |
— | 9.56M | TELE/FOX |
| 35 | FIFA | Croatia-Russia World Cup Quarterfinal |
— | 9.50M | FOX/TELE |
| 36 | NBA | Rockets-Warriors West Finals Game 6 |
5.4 | 9.47M | TNT |
| 37 | CBB | Texas A&M-UNC Second Round |
5.7 | 9.38M | CBS |
| 38 | NBA | Warriors-Rockets West Finals Game 5 |
5.6 | 9.32M | TNT |
| 39 | FIFA | Croatia-Denmark World Cup Rd. of 16 |
— | 9.30M | FOX/TELE |
| 40 | NASCAR | Daytona 500 | 5.3 | 9.30M (9.35M) |
FOX |
| 41 | FIFA | Germany-Sweden World Cup Group Play |
— | 9.19M | FOX/TELE |
| 42 | CFB | Ohio State-Penn State Regular season |
5.3 | 9.14M | ABC |
| 43 | CFB | Auburn-Alabama Regular season |
5.1 | 9.13M | CBS |
| 44 | FIFA | Russia-Spain World Cup Rd. of 16 |
— | 9.06M | FOX/TELE |
| 45 | NBA | Warriors-Rockets West Finals Game 1 |
5.4 | 8.90M | TNT |
| 46 | CBB | Villanova-Texas Tech Elite Eight |
5.4 | 8.76M | CBS |
| 47 | CFB | Notre Dame-LSU Citrus Bowl |
5.1 | (8.71M) | ABC |
| 48 | MLB | All-Star Game | 5.2 | 8.69M (8.85M) |
FOX |
| 49 | FIFA | Brazil-Switzerland World Cup Group Play |
— | 8.68M | FS1/TELE |
| 50 | CFB | Ohio State-Northwestern Big Ten Championship |
5.0 | 8.66M | FOX |
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