Sports programming again dominated the most-viewed telecasts of the year, but 2024 was well below previous highs, as 87 of the top 100 programs of the year were sports. That is down from 2023, when 96 of the top 100 were sports. If you broaden the list even further, sports accounted for 182 of the top 200 shows of 2024, or a whopping 91% of the total.
The NFL again dominated the top 100, accounting for 70 spots. But that is well below 2023, when the NFL drew a record 93 of the top 100 in a non-Olympic, non-Presidential election year. Both Netflix games made the list in 2024, as did one NFL game on Prime Video.
Only four college sporting events made the list in 2024. However, the Caitlin Clark-fueled Women’s NCAA Basketball Championship made the top 100 for the first time. The other college events were the three College Football Playoff games that concluded the 2023-24 season.
The presidential race cut into sports’ dominance in 2024 as telecasts from the Republican and Democratic national conventions made the list, as well as three debates.
The Summer Olympics had a slightly better performance among the top 100 compared to 2021. Telecasts from the Paris Games accounted for 12 of the top 100 in 2024, up from 11 for the Tokyo Games in 2021. The Olympics in 2024 (within the top 100) also delivered a mix of the traditional primetime windows on NBC and a few of the “Paris Primetime” live windows that took place in the afternoons in the U.S. market.
MLB returned to the list for the first time since 2019, as Game 5 of Dodgers-Yankees made its way to No. 86 on the list. The only scripted entertainment show to make the top 100 was “Tracker” in the post-Super Bowl window on CBS. In terms of awards shows, the Oscars came in at No. 71, but the Grammys just missed the list. Also just missing the top 100 were the Kentucky Derby and SEC Football Championship.
Assessing the College Football Playoff as the semifinals approach; Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia 76ers continue progress toward new venues; Denver’s record NWSL expansion fee and the PBR in Manhattan sees uptick in ticket sales.
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