NFL sweeps 93 out of the top 100 most-watched US broadcasts in 2023 as no other sport except football makes the list

The top 15 most-watched broadcasts on US TV in 2023 were all NFL games.

NFL sweeps 93 out of the top 100 most-watched US broadcasts in 2023 as no other sport except football makes the list

Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Likely (80) in action against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD. (Via Imago)

The NFL continues to solidify its position as the highest-grossing sport in terms of viewership. As per a recent analysis, 93 out of the top 100 most-watched broadcasts in 2023 were all NFL games. For reference, football was the only sport that made it to this list, other sports such as basketball and baseball did not make the cut.

The NFL’s regular season games had higher viewership than some of the NBA Finals games. The 7 other spots that were amongst the most watched broadcasts in 2023 and not football were political programs, the Thanksgiving Parade, Academy Awards, and college football games.

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The game of the year was Super Bowl LVII, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. It amassed a viewership of an estimated 115.1 million as per Sportico‘s analysis on just FOX Sports alone. In addition to this, all the games of the Wildcard Round and the Divisional championship games made the cut.

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The NFL has eclipsed the NBA in terms of recording a massive viewership

The list has 96 spots dedicated to football alone. Basketball missed by one spot as CBS’ airing of the San Diego State vs UConn became the 101st most-watched broadcast. This list ought to make the NFL happy because it recorded the viewership from just broadcasting alone. The NFL has ties with other streaming platforms to air its games, which means the actual viewership numbers easily exceed the broadcast numbers.

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs (Via Imago)

It explains why networks remain unhinged while paying record amounts of money to the NFL towards securing broadcasting rights for their games. Last year, the NFL amounted for 82 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts, and this year, the league has just further solidified its hold on American Television.

The 2023-24 NFL season was a big one for the Dallas Cowboys. America’s team lived up to its moniker as it was able to attract an average of 25 million viewers per game. The Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and the Commanders amassed a viewership of 45.7 million, making it one of the most viewed games this season.

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