The Prime-Time TV Numbers for 2024: A Year of Sports Dominance
According to the latest telecast ratings, 75 out of the top 100 most-watched programs were sporting events, with the Super Bowl providing the biggest draw. Super Bowl LVIII, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs win against the San Francisco 49ers, pulled in a record-breaking 120 million viewers, with 123.4 million watching across all platforms. The NFL dominated the list, with 45 broadcasts featuring in the top 100, with the first non-sports related program, the September Presidential Debate, coming in at number 12.
Other notable sports-related events in the top 100 include the World Series, with all five games featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees making the list. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship also made its debut on the list, while the WNBA saw a surge in popularity thanks to rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
The NBA had a strong year as well, with four out of five NBA Finals games featuring in the top 100. The Paris Olympics also made the list, with 19 installments included. 11-year rights deal with three networks for the league’s broadcast rights starting from the 2025-26 season was also announced, with ESPN and ABC securing the rights for regular season games, while NBC will return as an NBA broadcaster after a 19-year absence, showing up to 100 games per season on its channels and streaming service.
NBC led the networks with the most slots, with 38 entries, while CBS came in second with 25, and ABC with 12. Prime Video, Fox, ESPN, and Fox News completed the remainder of the top 100.
