Most-watched sports telecasts of the 2000s
Nielsen average audience, one figure per telecast; a final or revised figure replaces a preliminary one. Composites, peaks, reach and self-reported figures do not chart.
459
eligible telecasts
updated 2026-09-15
Most-watched sports telecasts of the 2000s
1
Super Bowl XLIII, Cardinals vs Steelers
98,732,000
2
Super Bowl XLII, Giants vs Patriots
97,448,000
3
Super Bowl XLI, Bears vs Colts
93,184,000
4
Super Bowl XL, Seahawks vs Steelers
90,745,000
5
Super Bowl XXXVIII, Panthers vs Patriots
89,795,000
6
Super Bowl XXXVII, Buccaneers vs Raiders
88,637,000
7
Super Bowl XXXIV, Rams vs Titans
88,465,000
8
Super Bowl XXXVI, Patriots vs Rams
86,801,000
9
Super Bowl XXXIX, Eagles vs Patriots
86,072,000
10
Super Bowl XXXV, Giants vs Ravens
84,335,000
11
NFC Championship Game, Giants vs Packers
53,937,000
12
AFC Championship Game, Colts vs Patriots
46,695,000
13
AFC Championship Game, Chargers vs Patriots
44,840,000
14
AFC Championship Game, Patriots vs Steelers
44,334,000
15
NFC Championship Game, Bears vs Saints
43,247,000
16
NFC Championship Game, Eagles vs Falcons
42,937,000
17
AFC Championship Game, Raiders vs Titans
41,456,000
18
AFC Championship Game, Ravens vs Steelers
40,645,000
19
NFC Championship Game, Eagles vs Panthers
40,444,000
20
AFC Championship Game, Colts vs Patriots
40,115,000
21
World Series Game 7, Diamondbacks vs Yankees
39,084,000
22
AFC Championship Game, Broncos vs Steelers
39,001,000
23
NFC Championship Game, Buccaneers vs Eagles
38,741,000
24
NFC Championship Game, Cardinals vs Eagles
38,387,000
25
NFC Championship Game, Eagles vs Rams
37,429,000
26
NFC Championship Game, Panthers vs Seahawks
35,233,000
27
AFC Championship Game, Patriots vs Steelers
33,313,000
28
ALCS Game 7, Red Sox vs Yankees
31,460,000
29
World Series Game 7, Angels vs Giants
30,814,000
30
World Series Game 4, Cardinals vs Red Sox
28,844,000
31
ALCS Game 7, Red Sox vs Yankees
27,490,000
32
NLCS Game 7, Cubs vs Marlins
26,510,000
33
World Series Game 2, Cardinals vs Red Sox
25,463,000
34
ALCS Game 6, Red Sox vs Yankees
25,090,000
35
World Series Game 3, Cardinals vs Red Sox
24,422,000
36
2001 NCAA championship game, Duke vs Arizona
23,970,000
37
2005 NCAA championship game, Illinois vs North Carolina
23,895,000
38
Western Conference Finals Game 7, Kings vs Lakers
23,796,000
39
World Series Game 4, Diamondbacks vs Yankees
23,692,000
40
2002 NCAA championship game, Maryland vs Indiana
23,686,000
41
World Series Game 2, Diamondbacks vs Yankees
23,550,000
42
World Series Game 3, Diamondbacks vs Yankees
23,407,000
43
World Series Game 6, Marlins vs Yankees
23,240,000
44
World Series Game 1, Cardinals vs Red Sox
23,168,000
45
World Series Game 4, Phillies vs Yankees
22,761,000
46
World Series Game 6, Diamondbacks vs Yankees
22,672,000
47
NBA Finals Game 6, Lakers vs Pacers
22,400,000
48
World Series Game 6, Phillies vs Yankees
22,339,000
49
NBA Finals Game 5, Lakers vs Pistons
21,840,000
50
World Series Game 5, Diamondbacks vs Yankees
21,323,000
51
World Series Game 4, Red Sox vs Rockies
20,946,000
52
World Series Game 4, Marlins vs Yankees
20,885,000
53
2000 NCAA championship game, Florida vs Michigan State
20,587,000
54
World Series Game 2, Marlins vs Yankees
20,552,000
55
NBA Finals Game 4, Lakers vs Pistons
20,300,000
56
NBA Finals Game 3, 76ers vs Lakers
20,280,000
57
World Series Game 4, Astros vs White Sox
19,979,000
58
NBA Finals Game 4, 76ers vs Lakers
19,970,000
59
World Series Game 5, Marlins vs Yankees
19,919,000
60
NLCS Game 7, Astros vs Cardinals
19,810,000
61
2007 NCAA championship game, Florida vs Ohio State
19,563,000
62
World Series Game 1, Phillies vs Yankees
19,511,000
63
2008 NCAA championship game, Kansas vs Memphis
19,501,000
64
Daytona 500
19,400,000
65
World Series Game 2, Angels vs Giants
19,368,000
66
NLCS Game 6, Cubs vs Marlins
19,360,000
67
World Series Game 6, Angels vs Giants
19,221,000
68
Masters Tournament Round 4
19,200,000
69
ALCS Game 7, Guardians vs Red Sox
19,150,000
70
World Series Game 2, Mets vs Yankees
19,045,000
71
NBA Finals Game 7, Pistons vs Spurs
19,000,000
72
NBA Finals Game 4, Lakers vs Pacers
18,940,000
73
World Series Game 5, Mets vs Yankees
18,927,000
74
World Series Game 2, Phillies vs Yankees
18,897,000
75
World Series Game 3, Marlins vs Yankees
18,889,000
76
Daytona 500
18,800,000
77
NBA Finals Game 2, 76ers vs Lakers
18,720,000
78
Daytona 500
18,700,000
79
NBA Finals Game 1, 76ers vs Lakers
18,580,000
80
2003 NCAA championship game, Syracuse vs Kansas
18,573,000
81
2002 NCAA national semifinal, Maryland vs Kansas
18,466,000
82
ALCS Game 1, Red Sox vs Yankees
18,430,000
83
NLCS Game 2, Cubs vs Marlins
18,430,000
84
2001 NCAA national semifinal, Duke vs Maryland
18,323,000
85
World Series Game 2, Cardinals vs Tigers
18,165,000
86
World Series Game 4, Angels vs Giants
18,085,000
87
Daytona 500
17,800,000
88
ALCS Game 5, Red Sox vs Yankees
17,800,000
89
Daytona 500
17,800,000
90
World Series Game 1, Marlins vs Yankees
17,687,000
91
2009 NCAA championship game, Michigan State vs North Carolina
17,649,000
92
World Series Game 4, Mets vs Yankees
17,611,000
93
World Series Game 1, Mets vs Yankees
17,556,000
94
2005 NCAA national semifinal, North Carolina vs Michigan State
17,548,000
95
2006 NCAA championship game, UCLA vs Florida
17,543,000
96
ALCS Game 4, Red Sox vs Yankees
17,500,000
97
Daytona 500
17,500,000
98
World Series Game 3, Mets vs Yankees
17,453,000
99
NBA Finals Game 6, Celtics vs Lakers
17,390,000
100
NBA Finals Game 5, 76ers vs Lakers
17,360,000
Top 100 of 459 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-09-15 09:37 UTC