With the MLB All-Star Game marking the unofficial halfway point on the sports calendar, here is a look at the 50 most-viewed sporting events of the year so far. Click here to jump straight to the chart.
As should be expected, the National Football League dominated the top spots on the list. Despite a rare decline in viewership, the Super Bowl topped the charts with 108.7 million viewers on CBS. The 30-minute Super Bowl power outage also scored well over 100 million viewers.
Outside of the Super Bowl, the year’s top sporting event was the Ravens/Patriots AFC Championship Game on CBS (47.7M), followed by the 49ers/Falcons NFC title game on FOX (42.0M). Including the Super Bowl power outage, NFL telecasts took up the top 12 spots on the list.
The top non-NFL sporting event of the year, as usual, was the BCS National Championship Game (26.4M). However, Alabama’s blowout win over Notre Dame was only slightly ahead of the next-best program — Game 7 of the Heat/Spurs NBA Finals (26.3M).
The Louisville/Michigan NCAA Tournament title game ranked #14 for the year so far (and third when the NFL is excluded), with 23.4 million viewers. A little further down the list were the Danica Patrick-fueled Daytona 500 (#18, 16.7M), the race portion of the Kentucky Derby (#21, 16.2M), and the final round of The Masters (#23, 14.7M). Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game ranked 34th (11.0M).
This year’s list also includes several events outside of the top 50, including the first round of the NFL Draft (7.7M), the USA/Mexico World Cup qualifier (7.0M), and the Indianapolis 500 (5.7M).
50 Most-Viewed Sporting Events of 2013
Through July 16
| # | Date | League | Event | Net |
Rating
|
Viewers
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun., 2/3/13 | NFL: Super Bowl | Ravens/Niners | CBS |
46.4
|
108.69M
|
| — | Sun., 2/3/13 | NFL: Super Bowl | Power outage | CBS |
44.4
|
106.56M
|
| 2 | Sun., 1/20/13 | NFL: AFC Champ. | Ravens/Patriots | CBS |
25.5
|
47.71M
|
| 3 | Sun., 1/20/13 | NFL: NFC Champ. | Niners/Falcons | FOX |
24.2
|
42.00M
|
| 4 | Sun., 1/6/13 | NFL: NFC Wild Card | Seahawks/Washington | FOX |
21.5
|
38.09M
|
| 5 | Sun., 1/13/13 | NFL: AFC Divisional | Texans/Patriots | CBS |
21.7
|
37.66M
|
| 6 | Sat., 1/12/13 | NFL: AFC Divisional | Ravens/Broncos | CBS |
20.1
|
35.28M
|
| 7 | Sun., 1/13/13 | NFL: NFC Divisional | Seahawks/Falcons | FOX |
19.3
|
32.10M
|
| 8 | Sat., 1/12/13 | NFL: NFC Divisional | Packers/Niners | FOX |
16.9
|
30.89M
|
| 9 | Sat., 1/5/13 | NFL: NFC Wild Card | Vikings/Packers | NBC |
17.3
|
30.28M
|
| 10 | Sun., 1/6/13 | NFL: AFC Wild Card | Colts/Ravens | CBS |
18.1
|
29.60M
|
| 11 | Mon., 1/7/13 | NCAAF: BCS Champ. | Alabama/Notre Dame | ESPN |
15.1
|
26.38M
|
| 12 | Thu., 6/20/13 | NBA: NBA Finals | Spurs/Heat Game 7 | ABC |
15.3
|
26.32M
|
| 13 | Sat., 1/5/13 | NFL: AFC Wild Card | Bengals/Texans | NBC |
14.4
|
23.60M
|
| 14 | Mon., 4/8/13 | NCAAMB: Final Four | Louisville/Michigan | CBS |
14.0
|
23.43M
|
| 15 | Tue., 6/18/13 | NBA: NBA Finals | Spurs/Heat Game 6 | ABC |
12.3
|
20.64M
|
| 16 | Sat., 4/6/13 | NCAAMB: Final Four | Michigan/Syracuse | CBS |
10.2
|
17.10M
|
| 17 | Tue., 1/1/13 | NCAAF: Rose Bowl | Stanford/Wisconsin | ESPN |
9.4
|
17.02M
|
| 18 | Sun., 2/24/13 | NASCAR: Sprint Cup | Daytona 500 | FOX |
9.9
|
16.65M
|
| 19 | Sun., 6/16/13 | NBA: NBA Finals | Heat/Spurs Game 5 | ABC |
9.5
|
16.27M
|
| 20 | Thu., 6/13/13 | NBA: NBA Finals | Heat/Spurs Game 4 | ABC |
10.0
|
16.23M
|
| 21 | Sat., 5/4/13 | Horse: Triple Crown | Kentucky Derby | NBC |
9.7
|
16.20M
|
| 22 | Sun., 3/31/13 | NCAAMB: Elite Eight | Louisville/Duke | CBS |
8.8
|
15.65M
|
| 23 | Sun., 4/14/13 | Golf: The Masters | Final Round | CBS |
9.4
|
14.70M
|
| 24 | Sun., 6/9/13 | NBA: NBA Finals | Spurs/Heat Game 2 | ABC |
8.5
|
14.57M
|
| 25 | Sat., 4/6/13 | NCAAMB: Final Four | Louisville/Wichita State | CBS |
8.7
|
14.47M
|
| 26 | Thu., 6/6/13 | NBA: NBA Finals | Spurs/Heat Game 1 | ABC |
8.8
|
14.24M
|
| 27 | Tue., 6/11/13 | NBA: NBA Finals | Heat/Spurs Game 3 | ABC |
8.5
|
14.05M
|
| 28 | Thu., 1/3/13 | NCAAF: Fiesta Bowl | Oregon/Kansas State | ESPN |
7.4
|
12.31M
|
| 29 | Sun., 1/27/13 | NFL: Pro Bowl | AFC/NFC | NBC |
7.1
|
12.16M
|
| 30 | Fri., 1/4/13 | NCAAF: Cotton Bowl | Texas A&M/Oklahoma | FOX |
7.2
|
11.94M
|
| 31 | Mon., 6/3/13 | NBA: East Finals | Pacers/Heat Game 7 | TNT |
7.1
|
11.57M
|
| 32 | Sat., 3/30/13 | NCAAF: Elite Eight | Wichita St./Ohio St. | CBS |
6.8
|
11.29M
|
| 33 | Sun., 3/24/13 | NCAAF: Third Round | Kansas/North Carolina | CBS |
7.0
|
11.24M
|
| 34 | Tue., 7/16/13 | MLB: All-Star | All-Star Game | FOX |
6.9
|
10.96M
|
35 | Tue., 1/1/13 | NCAAF: Cap. One Bowl | Georgia/Nebraska | ABC |
6.6
|
10.95M
|
| 36 | Tue., 1/1/13 | NCAAF: Orange Bowl | FSU/Northern Illinois | ESPN |
6.1
|
10.56M
|
| 37 | Sun., 3/24/13 | NCAABB: Third Round | Indiana/Temple | CBS |
6.8
|
10.55M
|
| 38 | Wed., 1/2/13 | NCAAF: Sugar Bowl | Louisville/Florida | ESPN |
6.2
|
10.13M
|
| 39 | Sat., 5/18/13 | Horse: Triple Crown | The Preakness Stakes | NBC |
5.9
|
9.70M
|
40 | Sun., 3/31/13 | NCAABB: Elite Eight | Florida/Michigan | CBS |
5.7
|
9.36M
|
| 41 | Sun., 3/3/13 | NASCAR: Sprint Cup | Subway Fresh Fit 500 (Phoenix) | FOX |
5.6
|
9.12M
|
| 42 | Thu., 5/30/13 | NBA: East Finals | Pacers/Heat Game 5 | TNT |
5.4
|
8.54M
|
| 43 | Sat., 4/13/13 | Golf: The Masters | Third Round | CBS |
5.8
|
8.50M
|
| 44 | Sun., 6/16/13 | Golf: U.S. Open | Final Round | NBC |
5.4
|
8.39M
|
| 45 | Wed., 5/22/13 | NBA: East Finals | Pacers/Heat Game 1 | TNT |
5.4
|
8.25M
|
| 46 | Sat., 6/1/13 | NBA: East Finals | Heat/Pacers Game 6 | TNT |
4.9
|
8.24M
|
| 47 | Mon., 6/24/13 | NHL: Stanley Cup Final | Blackhawks/Bruins Game 6 | NBC |
4.7
|
8.16M
|
| 48 | Tue., 5/28/13 | NBA: East Finals | Heat/Pacers Game 4 | TNT |
5.1
|
8.12M
|
| 49 | Sun., 2/17/13 | NBA: All-Star Wknd | All-Star Game | TNT |
4.6
|
8.02M
|
50 | Sun., 3/24/13 | NASCAR: Sprint Cup | Auto Club 500 | FOX |
4.5
|
8.00M
|
Select Events Outside the Top 50
* For events on two networks, combined viewership is listed (ratings are for each individual channel).
| Date | League | Event | Net |
Rating
|
Viewers
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., 3/28/13 | NCAABB: Sweet 16 | Syracuse/Indiana | CBS |
5.1
|
7.99M
|
Thu., 4/25/13 | NFL: NFL Draft | First Round | ESPN NFLN |
4.1
0.9 |
7.72M
|
Sun., 3/24/13 | NCAABB: Third Round | Ohio St./Iowa St. | CBS |
5.0
|
7.67M
|
| Sun., 5/12/13 | Golf: The Players | Final Round | NBC |
5.0
|
7.60M
|
| Tue., 1/1/13 | NCAAF: Outback Bowl | South Carolina/Michigan | ESPN |
4.3
|
7.58M
|
Sun., 3/10/13 | NASCAR: Sprint Cup | Kobalt Tools 400 (Vegas) | FOX |
4.4
|
7.50M
|
Sun., 3/17/13 | NASCAR: Sprint Cup | Food City 500 (Bristol) | FOX |
4.3
|
7.50M
|
Sat., 3/23/13 | NCAABB: Third Round | Memphis/Michigan St. | CBS |
4.9
|
7.33M
|
Sun., 5/5/13 | NASCAR: Sprint Cup | Aaron’s 499 (Talladega) | FOX |
4.6
|
7.30M
|
Sun., 5/26/13 | NBA: East Finals | Heat/Pacers Game 3 | TNT |
4.5
|
7.28M
|
Sat., 3/30/13 | NCAABB: Elite Eight | Marquette/Syracuse | CBS |
4.6
|
7.21M
|
Sun., 5/26/13 | NASCAR: Sprint Cup | Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) | FOX |
4.3
|
7.13M
|
Fri., 3/29/13 | NCAABB: Sweet 16 | Michigan St./Duke | CBS |
4.6
|
7.11M
|
Sat., 6/8/13 | Horse: Triple Crown | The Belmont Stakes | NBC |
4.5
|
7.00M
|
Fri., 5/24/13 | NBA: East Finals | Pacers/Heat Game 2 | TNT |
4.4
|
6.98M
|
Tue., 3/26/13 | Soccer: World Cup Qualifier | United States/Mexico | ESPN UM?S |
1.4
2.0 |
6.96M
|
Fri., 3/29/13 | NCAABB: Sweet 16 | Florida/Fla. Gulf-Coast * Top tourney game on cable |
TBS |
4.1
|
6.74M
|
Mon., 7/15/13 | MLB: All-Star | Home Run Derby | ESPN |
4.1
|
6.65M
|
Sun., 2/10/13 | NBA: Regular Season | Lakers/Heat | ABC |
4.1
|
6.47M
|
Wed., 6/19/13 | NHL: Stanley Cup Final | Blackhawks/Bruins Game 4 | NBC |
3.8
|
6.46M
|
Fri., 3/29/13 | NCAABB: Sweet 16 | Kansas/Michigan | TBS |
3.9
|
6.46M
|
Wed., 6/12/13 | NHL: Stanley Cup Final | Bruins/Blackhawks Game 1 | NBC |
3.9
|
6.36M
|
Sun., 1/27/13 | NBA: Regular Season | Thunder/Lakers | ABC |
3.9
|
6.33M
|
Sun., 4/28/13 | NBA Playoffs: Rd. 1 | Heat/Bucks Game 4 | ABC |
3.8
|
6.00M
|
Sun., 5/5/13 | NBA Playoffs: Semis | Pacers/Knicks Game 1 * Top non-Heat playoff game |
ABC |
3.9
|
5.98M
|
Sun., 6/30/13 | Soccer: Confederations Cup | Brazil/Spain | ESPN UNI |
1.2
N/A |
5.95M
|
Sat., 5/11/13 | NASCAR: Sprint Cup | Southern 500 (Darlington) * NASCAR on FOX season-low |
FOX |
3.8
|
5.93M
|
Sat., 2/16/13 | NBA: All-Star Wknd | All-Star Saturday Night | TNT |
3.3
|
5.90M
|
Sun., 5/26/13 | IndyCar Series | Indianapolis 500 | ABC |
3.7
|
5.70M
|
Sat., 6/22/13 | NHL: Stanley Cup Final | Bruins/Blackhawks Game 5 | NBC |
3.2
|
5.63M
|
Sun., 4/21/13 | NBA: First Round | Lakers/Spurs Game 1 * Top Western playoff game |
ABC |
3.6
|
5.51M
|
Sun., 3/10/13 | Golf: Cadillac Champ. | Final Round | NBC |
3.7
|
5.50M
|
Sat., 6/15/13 | Golf: U.S. Open | Third Round | NBC |
3.7
|
5.36M
|
Mon., 5/27/13 | NBA: West Finals | Spurs/Grizzlies Game 4 * Top game of series |
ESPN |
3.2
|
5.21M
|
Mon., 6/17/13 | NHL: Stanley Cup Final | Blackhawks/Bruins Game 3 * Record for NHL on NBCSN |
NBCSN |
2.3
|
4.00M
|
Sat., 2/2/13 | NFL: NFL Honors | NFL awards show | CBS |
2.6
|
4.00M
|
Sat., 6/15/13 | NHL: Stanley Cup Final | Bruins/Blackhawks Game 2 | NBCSN |
2.0
|
3.96M
|
Sat., 6/8/13 | NHL: West Finals | Kings/Blackhawks Game 5 | NBC |
2.2
|
3.81M
|
Fri., 4/26/13 | NFL: NFL Draft | Second and Third Rd. | ESPN/2 NFLN |
1.9
0.7 |
3.70M
|
Sat., 6/29/13 | MLB: Regular Season | Yankees/Orioles (59%) * Reg. season high |
FOX |
2.2
|
3.53M
|
Sat., 2/23/13 | NASCAR: Nationwide | Drive4COPD 300 (Daytona) | ESPN |
2.2
|
3.36M
|
Wed., 5/29/13 | NHL: Second Round | Red Wings/Blackhawks Game 7 | NBCSN |
2.1
|
3.35M
|
Tue., 4/9/13 | NCAAWB: Final Four | Connecticut/Louisville | ESPN |
2.0
|
3.21M
|
Sun., 7/7/13 | Tennis: Wimbledon | Murray/Djokovic final | ESPN |
2.1
|
3.05M
|
Thu., 6/27/13 | NBA: NBA Draft | First and Second Rd. | ESPN |
2.0
|
3.00M
|
Sat., 1/19/13 | NHL: Regular Season | Regional action * Reg. season high |
NBC |
1.6
|
2.77M
|
Sat., 6/8/13 | Tennis: French Open | Serena W./Sharapova final | NBC |
1.9
|
2.71M
|
Sun., 6/9/13 | Tennis: French Open | Nadal/Djokovic final | NBC |
1.7
|
2.46M
|
Sat., 4/27/13 | NFL: NFL Draft | Final rounds | ESPN/2 NFLN |
1.1
0.4 |
2.22M
|
Sat., 7/6/13 | Tennis: Wimbledon | Bartoli/Lisicki final | ESPN |
1.3
|
1.88M
|
