With 2009 now past the halfway point, here is a look at the viewership for sports-related programming during the first six months of year.
The 50 most viewed broadcast sports programs of ’09 include 11 NFL telecasts, 17 college basketball games, and multiple appearances by NASCAR, the NBA and college football. The list does not include studio programming.
Additionally, keep in mind that this list is limited to programs that took place during Q1 (12/29/08-3/29/09) and Q2 (3/30/09-6/28/09). The 2009 MLB All-Star Game, which took place on July 14, drew 14.6 million viewers.
50 most-viewed sports programs on broadcast.
From 12/29/08 – 6/28/09
Source: ESPN.com
| # |
Date
|
Net | Sport | Game |
Viewers
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Sun., 2/1/09
|
NBC | NFL | Super Bowl XLIII, Steelers/Cardinals |
98.7 mil
|
|
2
|
Sun., 1/18/09
|
CBS | NFL | AFC Championship, Ravens/Steelers |
40.6 mil
|
|
3
|
Sun., 1/18/09
|
FOX | NFL | NFC Championship, Eagles/Cardinals |
38.4 mil
|
|
4
|
Sun., 1/11/09
|
CBS | NFL | AFC Divisional Playoff, Chargers/Steelers |
34.1 mil
|
|
5
|
Sun., 1/11/09
|
FOX | NFL | NFC Divisional Playoff, Eagles/Giants |
31.4 mil
|
|
6
|
Sun., 1/4/09
|
FOX | NFL | NFC Wild Card, Eagles/Vikings |
30.0 mil
|
|
7
|
Sat., 1/3/09
|
NBC | NFL | AFC Wild Card, Colts/Chargers |
27.8 mil
|
|
8
|
Thu., 1/8/09
|
FOX | NCAAF | BCS National Championship, Oklahoma/Florida |
26.8 mil
|
|
9
|
Sat., 1/10/09
|
CBS | NFL | AFC Divisional Playoff, Ravens/Titans |
25.5 mil
|
|
10
|
Sun., 1/4/09
|
CBS | NFL | AFC Wild Card, Ravens/Dolphins |
23.9 mil
|
|
11
|
Sat., 1/10/09
|
FOX | NFL | NFC Divisional Playoff, Cardinals/Panthers |
23.8 mil
|
|
12
|
Sat., 1/3/09
|
NBC | NFL | NFC Wild Card, Falcons/Cardinals |
21.0 mil
|
|
13
|
Thu., 1/1/09
|
ABC | NCAAF | Rose Bowl, Penn St./USC |
20.6 mil
|
|
14
|
Mon., 4/6/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Basketball National Championship Game, North Carolina/Michigan State |
17.6 mil
|
|
15
|
Mon., 1/5/09
|
FOX | NCAAF | Fiesta Bowl, Texas/Ohio State |
17.1 mil
|
|
16
|
Sat., 5/2/09
|
NBC | Horse | Kentucky Derby, race segment |
16.3 mil
|
|
17t
|
Thu., 6/11/09
|
ABC | NBA | NBA Finals, Lakers/Magic Game 4 |
16.0 mil
|
|
17t
|
Sun., 2/15/09
|
FOX | NASCAR | Daytona 500 |
16.0 mil
|
|
19
|
Sat., 4/4/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Final Four, Villanova/North Carolina |
14.5 mil
|
|
20
|
Sun., 4/12/09
|
CBS | Golf | The Masters, final round |
14.3 mil
|
|
21t
|
Sun., 6/14/09
|
ABC | NBA | NBA Finals, Lakers/Magic Game 5 |
14.2 mil
|
|
21t
|
Tue., 6/9/09
|
ABC | NBA | NBA Finals, Lakers/Magic Game 3 |
14.2 mil
|
|
23
|
Sun., 6/7/09
|
ABC | NBA | NBA Finals, Magic/Lakers Game 2 |
14.1 mil
|
|
24
|
Fri., 1/2/09
|
FOX | NCAAF | Sugar Bowl, Utah/Alabama |
13.4 mil
|
|
25
|
Thu., 6/4/09
|
ABC | NBA | NBA Finals: Magic/Lakers Game 1 |
13.0 mil
|
|
26
|
Sat., 4/4/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Final Four, Mich. St./Connecticut |
12.6 mil
|
|
27
|
Sun., 3/22/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, second round (regional) |
11.2 mil
|
|
28
|
Sun., 3/1/09
|
FOX | NASCAR | Shelby 427 |
11.1 mil
|
|
29
|
Fri., 3/27/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, Sweet Sixteen (Kansas/Mich. St., Gonzaga/UNC) |
11.0 mil
|
|
30
|
Sat., 5/16/09
|
NBC | Horse | The Preakness Stakes, race segment |
10.9 mil
|
|
31t
|
Sun., 3/29/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight (UNC/Oklahoma) |
10.8 mil
|
|
31t
|
Thu., 1/1/09
|
ABC | NCAAF | Capital One Bowl, Georgia/Mich. St. |
10.8 mil
|
|
31t
|
Sat., 3/21/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, second round (West. Kentucky/Gonzaga, Texas/Duke) |
10.8 mil
|
|
34
|
Sat., 3/28/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight (Villanova/Pittsburgh) |
10.6 mil
|
|
35t
|
Thu., 3/26/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, Sweet Sixteen (Missouri/Memphis, Villanova/Duke) |
10.4 mil
|
|
35t
|
Sat., 3/21/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, second round (regional) |
10.4 mil
|
|
37
|
Sun., 2/22/09
|
FOX | NASCAR | Auto Club 500 |
10.2 mil
|
|
38
|
Thu., 1/1/09
|
FOX | NCAAF | Orange Bowl, Va. Tech/Cincinnati |
9.3 mil
|
|
39
|
Thu., 3/19/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, first round (regional) |
9.0 mil
|
|
40t
|
Fri., 3/20/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, first round (regional) |
8.9 mil
|
|
40t
|
Sun., 3/8/09
|
FOX | NASCAR | Kobalt Tools 500 |
8.9 mil
|
|
42t
|
Sun., 3/22/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, second round (regional) |
8.8 mil
|
|
42t
|
Sun., 2/8/09
|
NBC | NFL | Pro Bowl |
8.8 mil
|
|
42t
|
Fri., 3/27/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, Sweet Sixteen (Arizona/Louisville, Syracuse/Oklahoma) |
8.8 mil
|
|
45
|
Sat., 5/23/09
|
ABC | NBA | Lakers/Nuggets Game 3 |
8.7 mil
|
|
46
|
Thu., 3/26/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, Sweet Sixteen (Purdue/Conn., Xavier/Pittsburgh) |
8.6 mil
|
|
47
|
Sat., 3/28/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight (Missouri/Conn.) |
8.4 mil
|
|
48
|
Sat., 2/7/09
|
FOX | NASCAR | NASCAR Budweiser Shoot-Out |
8.3 mil
|
|
49t
|
Sun., 3/29/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight (Mich. St./Louisville) |
8.1 mil
|
|
49t
|
Sat., 4/11/09
|
CBS | Golf | The Masters, third round |
8.1 mil
|
|
49t
|
Sun., 4/26/09
|
FOX | NASCAR | Aaron’s 499 |
8.1 mil
|
Notable programs not in the Top 50.
Source: ESPN.com
|
Date
|
Net | Sport | Game |
Viewers
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fri., 6/12/09
|
NBC | NHL | Stanley Cup Finals, Penguins/Red Wings Game 7 |
8.0 mil
|
|
Thu., 3/19/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, first round (regional) |
7.8 mil
|
|
Sat., 3/21/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament, second round (Maryland/Memphis, Texas A&M/UConn) |
7.5 mil
|
|
Sun., 5/17/09
|
ABC | NBA | Rockets/Lakers Game 7 |
7.5 mil
|
|
Sun., 4/5/09
|
Fox | NASCAR | Samsung 500 |
7.4 mil
|
|
Sun., 3/29/09
|
Fox | NASCAR | Goody’s Fast Relief 500 |
7.4 mil
|
|
Sun., 3/22/09
|
Fox | NASCAR | Food City 500 |
7.4 mil
|
|
Sun., 3/15/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | NCAA Tournament Selection Show |
7.1 mil
|
|
Sun., 6/21/09
|
NBC | Golf | U.S. Open, Third/Final round (1:30 PM) |
7.1 mil
|
|
Sat., 5/2/09
|
Fox | NASCAR | Crown Royal presents the Russ Friedman 400 |
6.7 mil
|
|
Sat., 6/6/09
|
ABC | Horse | Belmont Stakes, race segment |
6.6 mil
|
|
Sun., 2/8/09
|
ABC | NBA | Lakers/Cavaliers |
6.1 mil
|
|
Tue., 6/9/09
|
NBC | NHL | Stanley Cup Final, Red Wings/Penguins Game 6 |
5.8 mil
|
|
Sun., 5/3/09
|
CBS | Golf | Quail Hollow Championship, Final round |
5.5 mil
|
|
Sun., 4/26/09
|
ABC | NBA | Cavaliers/Pistons Game 4 |
5.4 mil
|
|
Sun., 4/26/09
|
ABC | NBA | Celtics/Bulls Game 4 |
5.0 mil
|
|
Sun., 3/15/09
|
NBC | Golf | WGC CA Championship, Final round |
4.9 mil
|
|
Sat., 6/20/09
|
NBC | Golf | U.S. Open, Second/Third round (2 PM) |
4.8 mil
|
|
Sun., 2/22/09
|
CBS | Golf | Northern Trust Open, Final round |
4.8 mil
|
|
Sun., 3/1/09
|
ABC | NBA | Lakers vs. Suns |
4.7 mil
|
|
Sun., 6/7/09
|
CBS | Golf | The Memorial, Final round |
4.7 mil
|
|
Sun., 5/3/09
|
ABC | NBA | Nuggets-Mavericks Game 1 |
4.7 mil
|
|
Sun., 3/8/09
|
CBS | NCAAB | Duke/North Carolina |
4.6 mil
|
|
Sat., 6/6/09
|
NBC | NHL | Stanley Cup Final, Red Wings/Penguins Game 5 |
4.4 mil
|
|
Sat., 4/25/09
|
Fox | MLB | Red Sox/Yankees or Cubs/Cardinals |
4.1 mil
|
