With the MLB All-Star break marking the unofficial halfway point of the sporting calendar, here is a look at the best sports ratings of the year so far.
In the first year of an expanded, 18-week regular season and the second of an expanded, six-game Wild Card round, the NFL accounts for fully half of the top 50. All 13 playoff games, all seven Week 18 windows and all five Week 17 windows made the list, topped by Super Bowl 56 at just shy of 100 million viewers. The first round of NFL Draft just missed out, its 10.03 million viewers ranking 52nd — just behind trailing the final round of the Masters (10.17M) and a night of the Olympics (10.14M). Keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of NFL games in 2022 have yet to be played.
The top non-NFL program, as is usually the case, was the Alabama-Georgia College Football Playoff National Championship on the ESPN networks in January (22.56M). The most-watched night of the Olympics, which aired directly following the Super Bowl, followed close behind (22.49M).
The top sporting event outside of football and the Olympics was North Carolina-Duke in the men’s basketball Final Four (17.66M), followed by the Kansas-North Carolina national championship (17.05M), horse racing’s Kentucky Derby (15.79M) and the clinching Game 6 of the NBA Finals (Warriors-Celtics: 13.99M).
All figures presented below are the official Nielsen estimates and do not include additional streaming data from other companies such as Adobe Analytics.
Best sports ratings and viewership of 2022 (so far)
Nielsen estimates obtained from various sources, including league and network PR, ShowBuzz Daily and Programming Insider.
| SportsMediaWatch.com | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Sport | Event | Rtg | Vwrs | Net(s) |
| 1 | NFL | Super Bowl 56 Rams – Bengals |
36.9 | 99.18M | NBC |
| 2 | NFL | NFC Championship 49ers – Rams |
23.4 | 50.23M | FOX |
| 3 | NFL | AFC Championship Bengals – Chiefs |
23.6 | 47.85M | CBS |
| 4 | NFL | AFC Divisional Bills – Chiefs |
21.7 | 42.74M | CBS |
| 5 | NFL | NFC Wild Card 49ers – Cowboys |
20.7 | 41.50M | CBS, NICK |
| 6 | NFL | NFC Divisional Rams – Buccaneers |
19.8 | 38.14M | NBC |
| 7 | NFL | NFC Divisional 49ers – Packers |
17.8 | 36.92M | FOX |
| 8 | NFL | AFC Divisional Bengals – Titans |
15.8 | 30.75M | CBS |
| 9 | NFL | NFC Wild Card Eagles – Buccaneers |
16.0 | 30.37M | FOX |
| 10 | NFL | AFC Wild Card Steelers – Chiefs |
14.7 | 28.94M | NBC |
| 11 | NFL | AFC Wild Card Raiders – Bengals |
14.2 | 27.70M | NBC |
| 12 | NFL | Regular season (Week 17) mostly Cardinals – Cowboys (85%) |
13.8 | 26.79M | FOX |
| 13 | NFL | AFC Wild Card Patriots – Bills |
13.2 | 26.37M | CBS |
| 14 | NFL | NFC Wild Card Cardinals – Rams |
12.7 | 23.15M | ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 |
| 15 | CFB | CFP National Championship Georgia – Alabama |
12.1 | 22.56M | ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU |
| 16 | OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 9 (Super Bowl lead-out) |
10.5 | 22.49M | NBC, USA |
| 17 | NFL | Regular season (Week 18) Cowboys – Eagles |
10.6 | 20.21M | ABC, ESPN |
| 18 | NFL | Regular season (Week 18) mostly 49ers – Rams (80%) |
10.3 | 19.31M | FOX |
| 19 | NFL | Regular season (Week 18) Chiefs – Broncos |
10.4 | 19.10M | ABC, ESPN |
| 20 | NFL | Regular season (Week 17) primarily Chiefs – Bengals (45%) |
10.0 | 18.77M | CBS |
| 21 | NFL | Regular season (Week 17) Vikings – Packers |
9.9 | 18.55M | NBC |
| 22 | NFL | Regular season (Week 18) Chargers – Raiders |
9.8 | 17.69M | NBC |
| 23 | MCBB | Men’s Final Four UNC – Duke |
8.6 | 17.66M | TNT, TBS, TruTV |
| 24 | MCBB | Men’s National Championship Kansas – UNC |
9.1 | 17.05M | TNT, TBS, TruTV |
| 25 | NFL | Regular season (Week 18) mostly Steelers – Ravens (82%) |
9.1 | 16.86M | CBS |
| 26 | CFB | Rose Bowl Ohio State – Utah |
8.2 | 16.63M | ESPN |
| 27 | Horse | Kentucky Derby Race segment |
7.7 | 15.79M | NBC |
| 28 | NFL | Regular season (Week 17) mostly Rams – Ravens (55%) |
8.0 | 14.82M | FOX |
| 29 | NFL | Regular season (Week 18) mostly Panthers – Buccaneers (57%) |
7.8 | 14.17M | CBS |
| 30 | NBA | NBA Finals Game 6 Warriors – Celtics |
7.5 | 13.99M | ABC |
| 31 | OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony |
7.6 | 13.84M | NBC |
| 32 | NFL | Regular season (Week 18) mostly Packers – Lions (59%) |
7.6 | 13.78M | FOX |
| 33 | MCBB | Men’s Elite Eight UNC – Saint Peter’s |
7.2 | 13.58M | CBS |
| 34 | NFL | Regular season (Week 17) Ravens – Steelers |
7.3 | 13.26M | ESPN, ESPN2 |
| 35 | OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 1 (2/5) |
6.8 | 13.17M | NBC, USA, CNBC |
| 36 | NBA | NBA Finals Game 5 Celtics – Warriors |
7.0 | 13.03M | ABC |
| 37 | OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 2 (2/6) |
6.9 | 12.86M | NBC, USA |
| 38 | OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 6 (2/10) |
7.0 | 12.59M | NBC, USA, CNBC |
| 39 | NBA | NBA Finals Game 4 Warriors – Celtics |
6.2 | 12.06M | ABC |
| 40 | NBA | NBA Finals Game 2 Celtics – Warriors |
6.2 | 11.91M | ABC |
| 41 | NBA | NBA Finals Game 1 Celtics – Warriors |
6.4 | 11.90M | ABC, ESPN2 |
| 42 | MCBB | Men’s Final Four Kansas – Villanova |
5.8 | 11.70M | TBS, TNT, TruTV |
| 43 | NBA | NBA Finals Game 3 Warriors – Celtics |
6.2 | 11.52M | ABC |
| 44 | OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 5 (2/9) |
6.5 | 11.45M | NBC, USA, CNBC |
| 45 | MCBB | Men’s second round Duke – MSU |
6.2 | 11.22M | CBS |
| 46 | OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 3 (2/7) |
6.2 | 10.87M | NBC, USA, CNBC |
| 47 | MCBB | Men’s Elite Eight Duke – Arkansas |
5.2 | 10.34M | TBS |
| 48 | OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 4 (2/8) |
5.9 | 10.34M | NBC, USA, CNBC |
| 49 | MCBB | Men’s Sweet Sixteen Saint Peter’s – Purdue |
5.4 | 10.18M | CBS |
| 50 | Golf | The Masters Final round |
5.8 | 10.17M | CBS |
In all, seven different sports properties made the top 50. Here is a breakdown by property:
Honorable mentions
The following is a list of select sports telecasts that did not make the top 50. It is not a complete list, but a hodgepodge of notable events, with some skipped.
| SportsMediaWatch.com | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sport | Event | Rtg | Vwrs | Net(s) | |
| OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 11 |
5.8 | 10.14M | NBC, USA, CNBC | |
| NFL | NFL Draft First round |
5.6 | 10.03M | ABC, ESPN, NFLN | |
| OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 7 (Feb. 11) |
5.4 | 9.97M | NBC, USA, CNBC | |
| OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 8 (Feb. 12) |
5.3 | 9.97M | NBC, USA, CNBC | |
| OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 13 (Feb. 17) |
5.7 | 9.94M | NBC, USA, CNBC | |
| NBA | East Finals Game 7 Celtics – Heat |
4.6 | 9.88M | ESPN | |
| MCBB | Men’s second round Michigan – Tennessee |
5.2 | 9.83M | CBS | |
| MCBB | Men’s Elite Eight Kansas – Miami |
5.3 | 9.51M | CBS | |
| OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 10 (Feb. 14) |
5.4 | 9.45M | NBC, USA, CNBC | |
| NASCAR | Daytona 500 | 4.7 | 8.87M | FOX | |
| MCBB | Men’s Sweet Sixteen UNC – UCLA |
4.8 | 8.82M | CBS | |
| MCBB | Men’s second round Kansas – Creighton |
4.9 | 8.71M | CBS | |
| OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Night 12 (Feb. 16) |
4.8 | 8.48M | NBC, USA, CNBC | |
| MCBB | Men’s Sweet Sixteen Duke – Texas Tech |
4.8 | 8.23M | CBS | |
| OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Bonus night (2/3) |
4.4 | 7.76M | NBC, USA | |
| NBA | West semifinals Game 1 Warriors – Grizzlies |
4.1 | 7.71M | ABC | |
| NBA | East semifinals Game 7 Bucks – Celtics |
4.0 | 7.48M | ABC | |
| Golf | The Masters Third round |
4.3 | 7.43M | CBS | |
| NBA | West Finals Game 3 Warriors – Mavericks |
4.0 | 7.42M | TNT | |
| NBA | East Finals Game 6 Heat – Celtics |
3.5 | 7.19M | ESPN | |
| MCBB | Men’s second round UNC – Baylor |
4.1 | 7.12M | CBS | |
| NBA | East first round Game 1 Nets – Celtics |
3.1 | 6.90M | ABC | |
| MCBB | Men’s second round Saint Peter’s – Murray State |
3.7 | 6.69M | CBS | |
| NFL | Pro Bowl AFC – NFC |
3.5* | 6.69M | ABC, ESPN, Disney XD | |
| OLY | Beijing Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony |
3.6 | 6.57M | NBC | |
| NBA | West semifinal Game 7 Mavericks – Suns |
3.2 | 6.29M | TNT | |
| NBA | West semifinal Game 6 Grizzlies – Warriors |
3.3 | 6.28M | ESPN | |
| NBA | NBA All-Star Game Team LeBron – Team Durant |
3.1 | 6.28M | TNT, TBS | |
| NHL | Stanley Cup Final Game 6 Avalanche – Lightning |
2.9 | 5.82M | ABC | |
| MCBB | Men’s first round Saint Peter’s – Kentucky |
3.1 | 5.46M | CBS | |
| Golf | PGA Championship Final round |
3.1 | 5.27M | CBS | |
| Golf | U.S. Open Final round |
2.9 | 5.27M | NBC | |
| Horse | Preakness Stakes Race segment |
2.9 | 5.26M | NBC | |
| NHL | Stanley Cup Final Game 5 Lightning – Avalanche |
2.4 | 5.15M | ABC | |
| WCBB | Women’s National Championship South Carolina – UConn |
2.6* | 4.85M | ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU | |
| Horse | Belmont Stakes Race segment |
2.7 | 4.72M | NBC | |
| IndyCar | Indianapolis 500 | 2.7 | 4.62M | NBC | |
| NASCAR | “Clash” at L.A. Coliseum | 2.3 | 4.28M | FOX | |
| NBA | NBA All-Star Saturday Night | 2.0 | 4.24M | TNT | |
| NBA | Regular season Lakers – Warriors (2/12) |
1.9 | 3.61M | ABC | |
| WCBB | Women’s Final Four UConn – Stanford |
1.8* | 3.23M | ESPN, ESPNU | |
| USFL | Regular season (Week 1) New Jersey – Birmingham |
1.8 | 3.07M | FOX, NBC | |
| NHL | East semifinal Game 7 Rangers – Hurricanes |
1.4 | 2.79M | ESPN | |
| F1 | Miami Grand Prix | 1.3 | 2.58M | ABC | |
| Tennis | Wimbledon men’s final Novak Djokovic – Nick Kyrgios |
1.3 | 2.24M | ESPN | |
| WCBB | Women’s Elite Eight UConn – NC State |
1.3 | 2.04M | ESPN | |
| WCWS | WCWS Final Game 2 Oklahoma – Texas |
0.9 | 1.74M | ESPN2 | |
| USFL | USFL Championship Birmingham – Philadelphia |
0.9 | 1.52M | FOX | |
| NHL | Winter Classic Blues – Wild |
0.6 | 1.36M | TNT | |
| WGYM | Women’s College Gymnastics National championship |
0.6 | 922K | ABC | |
* Asterisk indicates that the household rating does not include ESPNU/Disney XD simulcast.
Previous mid-year sports ratings lists are available at the following links: 2021, 2020*, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 (broadcast and cable separately).
