Ratings Reference
Networks

ESPN

2,614 telecasts with figures · 2,713 published claims
2,614
telecasts on the record
updated 2026-09-14

Top events · ESPN

1
North Carolina Tar Heels at TCU Horned Frogs
2026-08-29 · ESPN · Disney+
4,900,000
College Football
2
SMU Mustangs at Florida State Seminoles
2026-09-07 · ESPN
4,070,000
College Football
3
Colorado Buffaloes at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2026-09-03 · ESPN
3,734,000
College Football
4
Las Vegas Raiders at Houston Texans
2026-08-20 · ESPN
3,400,000
NFL
5
NC State Wolfpack at Virginia Cavaliers
2026-08-29 · ESPN
3,200,000
College Football
6
Texas State Bobcats at Texas Longhorns
2026-09-05 · ESPN
2,309,000
College Football
7
2026 US Open tennis, day 12 of 15 (Thursday, September 10)
2026-09-10 · ESPN
2,200,000
Tennis
8
Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers
2026-08-23 · ESPN
2,020,000
MLB
9
Miami Hurricanes at Stanford Cardinal
2026-09-04 · ESPN
1,978,000
College Football
10
Indiana Fever at Toronto Tempo
2026-08-18 · ESPN
1,850,000
WNBA

Top leagues

by most-watched telecast
1
NFL
Houston Texans at New England Patriots · 2026-01-18
38,000,000
190 telecasts
2
College Football
CFP National Championship · 2015-01-12
33,400,000
906 telecasts
3
FIFA
2014 FIFA World Cup United States–Portugal · 2014-06-22
18,200,000
11 telecasts
4
NBA
Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 · 2018-05-27
13,591,000
619 telecasts
5
FIFA Women's
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Japan–United States · 2011-07-17
13,458,000
3 telecasts

Top teams

by most-watched telecast
1
Texans
Houston Texans at New England Patriots · 2026-01-18
38,000,000
13 telecasts
2
Patriots
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills · 2021-12-06
14,910,000
11 telecasts
3
Chiefs
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs · 2025-01-18
33,800,000
14 telecasts
4
Oregon
CFP National Championship · 2015-01-12
33,400,000
29 telecasts
5
Ohio State
Alabama Crimson Tide at Ohio State Buckeyes · 2015-01-01
28,270,000
25 telecasts

Telecasts with figures

date

date the telecast's air date. On a series row, the year.

Methodology →
telecast

telecast the telecast the figure is attached to, with its air date. A figure with no telecast row is listed without one.

Methodology →
figure

figure the telecast's lead figure: Nielsen average audience, full telecast, as published. Blank when Nielsen has not published one.

Methodology →
2022-03-13NBA Lakers–Suns1,770,000
2022-03-09NBA Suns–Heat1,120,000
2022-03-09NBA Trail Blazers–Jazz760,000
2022-03-06NBA Raptors–Cavaliers1,230,000
2022-03-06NBA Knicks–Clippers1,070,000
2022-03-05CBB Tar Heels–Blue Devils3,980,000
2022-03-05CBB Longhorns–Jayhawks1,910,000
2022-03-05UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal prelims1,530,000
2022-03-04NBA Bucks–Bulls1,490,000
2022-03-04NBA Knicks–Suns1,250,000
2022-03-02NBA Knicks–76ers2,380,000
2022-03-02NBA Trail Blazers–Suns953,000
2022-02-27NBA Pelicans–Lakers1,460,000
2022-02-27Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors1,980,000
2022-02-25NBA Heat–Knicks1,100,000
2022-02-16NBA Nets–Knicks1,260,000
2022-02-09NBA Bulls–Hornets1,030,000
2022-02-09NBA Warriors–Jazz1,360,000
2022-02-06NBA Hawks–Mavericks1,370,000
2022-02-02Memphis Grizzlies at New York Knicks1,270,000
2022-02-02NBA Nuggets–Jazz855,000
2022-01-29CBB Wildcats–Jayhawks2,170,000
2022-01-28NBA Knicks–Bucks1,120,000
2022-01-28NBA Lakers–Hornets1,350,000
2022-01-26NBA Knicks–Heat1,070,000
2022-01-20NHL Avalanche–Kings315,000
2022-01-19NBA Hornets–Celtics1,060,000
2022-01-19NBA Clippers–Nuggets921,000
2022-01-13NHL Flyers–Bruins684,000
2022-01-10CFP National Championship22,600,000
2022-01-03Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers13,260,000
2022-01-01Baylor Bears at Ole Miss Rebels9,500,000
2022-01-01Oklahoma State Cowboys at Notre Dame Fighting Irish8,000,000
2022-01-01Utah Utes at Ohio State Buckeyes16,630,000
2021-12-31Cincinnati Bearcats at Alabama Crimson Tide16,650,000
2021-12-31Georgia Bulldogs at Michigan Wolverines16,500,000
2021-12-31Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Rutgers Scarlet Knights3,500,000
2021-12-30Wisconsin Badgers at Arizona State Sun Devils3,600,000
2021-12-30Pittsburgh Panthers at Michigan State Spartans7,650,000
2021-12-30Tennessee Volunteers at Purdue Boilermakers5,600,000
2021-12-29Clemson Tigers at Iowa State Cyclones4,900,000
2021-12-29Oregon Ducks at Oklahoma Sooners4,700,000
2021-12-28Air Force Falcons at Louisville Cardinals2,730,000
2021-12-28Mississippi State Bulldogs at Texas Tech Red Raiders3,900,000
2021-12-27Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints12,310,000
2021-12-25NBA Hawks–Knicks2,920,000
2021-12-25NBA Mavericks–Jazz1,520,000
2021-12-25NBA Nets–Lakers5,750,000
2021-12-23UCF Knights at Florida Gators3,200,000
2021-12-17Golden State Warriors at Boston Celtics1,740,000
2021-12-17NBA Lakers–Timberwolves1,600,000
2021-12-15NBA Clippers–Jazz1,420,000
2021-12-15Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks1,880,000
2021-12-10Boston Celtics at Phoenix Suns1,430,000
2021-12-10NBA Nets–Hawks1,260,000
2021-12-08NBA Bucks–Heat1,260,000
2021-12-08NBA Trail Blazers–Warriors1,640,000
2021-12-06New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills14,910,000
2021-12-04Appalachian State Mountaineers at Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns440,000
2021-12-04Kent State Golden Flashes at Northern Illinois Huskies880,000
2021-12-03NBA 76ers–Hawks1,210,000
2021-12-03NBA Suns–Warriors2,040,000
2021-11-29Seattle Seahawks at Washington10,890,000
2021-11-24NBA 76ers–Warriors2,100,000
2021-11-24Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics1,490,000
2021-11-22New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers11,920,000
2021-11-20Auburn Tigers at South Carolina Gamecocks2,030,000
2021-11-20Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Clemson Tigers1,550,000
2021-11-19Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics1,740,000
2021-11-17Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee Bucks1,470,000
2021-11-17NBA Mavericks–Suns1,360,000
2021-11-15Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers12,250,000
2021-11-13Miami Hurricanes at Florida State Seminoles1,530,000
2021-11-13Texas A&M Aggies at Ole Miss Rebels3,530,000
2021-11-13Washington State Cougars at Oregon Ducks1,990,000
2021-11-12Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics1,180,000
2021-11-10NBA Heat–Lakers1,610,000
2021-11-09CBB Wildcats–Blue Devils1,780,000
2021-11-09CBB Jayhawks–Spartans1,520,000
2021-11-08Chicago Bears at Pittsburgh Steelers12,100,000
2021-11-05NBA Knicks–Bucks1,240,000
2021-11-05NBA Pelicans–Warriors1,600,000
2021-11-03Atlanta Hawks at Brooklyn Nets1,300,000
2021-11-03NBA Hornets–Warriors1,760,000
2021-11-01New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs13,920,000
2021-10-30Ole Miss Rebels at Auburn Tigers2,530,000
2021-10-29NBA Mavericks–Nuggets937,000
2021-10-25New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks12,800,000
2021-10-23Tennessee Volunteers at Alabama Crimson Tide4,680,000
2021-10-23Clemson Tigers at Pittsburgh Panthers2,160,000
2021-10-22NBA Nets–76ers1,680,000
2021-10-22Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers2,090,000
2021-10-20Boston Celtics at New York Knicks1,960,000
2021-10-20Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns1,370,000
2021-10-19New York Islanders at Chicago Blackhawks558,000
2021-10-18Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans12,530,000
2021-10-17WNBA Finals Game 4417,000
2021-10-16Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi State Bulldogs3,530,000
2021-10-16Florida Gators at LSU Tigers2,930,000
2021-10-15Clemson Tigers at Syracuse Orange2,120,000