The Prime-Time TV Numbers for 2024 are In: Sports Dominate Once Again
The prime-time TV numbers are in for 2024, and it’s clear that America still has a strong appetite for sports. A staggering 75 of the 100 most-watched telecasts over the past year were sporting events, with the NFL dominating the list. In fact, the top 5 most-watched telecasts were all NFL games, with Super Bowl LVIII raking in a record 120 million average viewers.
The Super Bowl, which pitted the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers, was a huge draw, with 123.4 million viewers tuning in across all platforms. The NFL had a record-breaking performance, with 45 broadcasts making the Top 100 list, and it took until number 12 to find a non-sports broadcast, with the September 2024 presidential debate drawing in 20.3 million viewers.
The MLB World Series also made a strong showing, with all five games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees making the list. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship also had a successful year, with the success of rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving ratings.
The WNBA also saw a surge in popularity, with a record number of viewers tuning in to watch the league’s stars in action. The Paris Olympics also drew a strong audience, with 19 installments making the cut, and the NBA Finals saw all five games make the Top 100.
The newly signed 11-year rights deal between the NBA and three networks will see the league’s broadcasting arrangements change, with the Walt Disney Company showing 80 regular-season games and 18 playoff games, while NBC will show up to 100 games per season and NBC’s Peacock streaming service will also broadcast games.
The list of top 100 most-watched telecasts for 2024 sees NBC leading the way with 38 slots, followed by CBS with 25, and ABC with 12. Prime Video and Fox Sports also had a strong showing, with 10 and 9 entries, respectively.