[5] [6] In fact, the Super Bowl is the American sports broadcast with the most consistent ratings, [7] and draws substantially higher ratings than other sports events, including the NBA Finals and World Series. [8] Ratings for the Super Bowl first peaked from 1977 to 1987, when no less than 44.4% of American households with television sets A comprehensive analysis of World Series television ratings, as compiled by Nielsen Media Research, along with broadcast network data, and shares for every Major League World Series where data is researched below. Television rates were first made available in 1968, and are current through the 2024 World Series. Research by Baseball Almanac. The highest ratings for an entire World Series is tied between 1978, featuring the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, and 1980, featuring the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals. Both series went six games and averaged a rating of 32.8 and a share of 56. [ 5 ] Super Bowl. Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers. 123.4. NBA. NBA Finals. Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat. 11.64. MLB. World Series. Arizona Diamondbacks vs Texas Rangers. 9.1. NHL. Stanley Cup The Super Bowl ratings record remains a 49.1 for 49ers-Bengals in 1982, but the viewership record was set just this year (2024) — 123.7 million for Chiefs-49ers. While Chiefs-49ers owns the largest official Super Bowl audience on record, that is only because Nielsen did not begin including out-of-home viewing in its viewership estimates until Earlier Super Bowls did better when it comes to TV ratings, with the highest-rated Super Bowl being a 49.1 in 1982 between the 49ers and Bengals. Of the five highest-rated Super Bowls ever, four Super Bowl television ratings and shares, including network (both NBC and CBS televised the first Super Bowl). The rating represents the percentage of televisions tuned in to a program. The share is the percentage of televisions on at the time that watched: So, while Chiefs-Eagles had the most views at 114.21 million, the highest-rated Super Bowl remains the 49ers-Bengals, when the ratings set a Super Bowl record of 49.1, indicating 49.1 percent of The Super Bowl isn’t going to become the most-watched sporting event on Earth, and the FIFA World Cup — nor anything else — is likely going to oust the NFL title game from its domestic throne. The NBA Finals air every year on ABC; Fox has the World Series rights on a long-term basis. The Super Bowl rotates between CBS, NBC and Fox. Due to a trade with NBC, CBS had the Super Bowl in both For what it's worth, only one World Series in the past 30 years has featured teams that had been to the Series at least three times apiece in a 12-year span -- the 1999 duel between the Yankees The 2022 Super Bowl pales in comparison, having had an average TV viewership of 99.2 million on NBC plus an estimated 30 to 50 million viewers around the world. Felix Richter The final tally: World Series 234, Super Bowl 229, with Sunday's game yet to be played. While most of the early Super Bowls were dull, boring and full of turnovers, the last decade has witnessed This number is higher than the most watched Baseball game ever (1980 Phillies vs Royals game 6 at 54 million) combined with the most watched NBA game ever (Bulls/Jazz 1998 game 6 at 35m) In a more modern age Cubs/Indians game 7 World Series in 2016 was at 40 million and Game 7 Cavs/Warriors in 2016 was 30 million. Super Bowl XLIV beats 'M-A-S-H' finale for U.S. viewership record Ratings World Series Ratings: The Highs And Lows From The Past 50 Years Both series went six games and averaged a rating of 32.8 and a share of 56. Average viewership was slightly larger in 1978 (44,278,950) than in 1980 (42,300,000). Super Bowl XLIV beats 'M-A-S-H' finale for U.S. viewership record Ratings World Series Ratings: The Highs And Lows From The Past 50 Years Both series went six games and averaged a rating of 32.8 and a share of 56. Average viewership was slightly larger in 1978 (44,278,950) than in 1980 (42,300,000). Super Bowl XLIV beats 'M-A-S-H' finale for U.S. viewership record Ratings World Series Ratings: The Highs And Lows From The Past 50 Years Both series went six games and averaged a rating of 32.8 and a share of 56. Average viewership was slightly larger in 1978 (44,278,950) than in 1980 (42,300,000). Super Bowl XLIV beats 'M-A-S-H' finale for U.S. viewership record Ratings World Series Ratings: The Highs And Lows From The Past 50 Years Both series went six games and averaged a rating of 32.8 and a share of 56. Average viewership was slightly larger in 1978 (44,278,950) than in 1980 (42,300,000). Super Bowl XLIV beats 'M-A-S-H' finale for U.S. viewership record Ratings World Series Ratings: The Highs And Lows From The Past 50 Years Both series went six games and averaged a rating of 32.8 and a share of 56. Average viewership was slightly larger in 1978 (44,278,950) than in 1980 (42,300,000). Super Bowl XLIV beats 'M-A-S-H' finale for U.S. viewership record Ratings World Series Ratings: The Highs And Lows From The Past 50 Years Both series went six games and averaged a rating of 32.8 and a share of 56. Average viewership was slightly larger in 1978 (44,278,950) than in 1980 (42,300,000).
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