Sunday, September 6, 2026

2025/2026 Broadcast Season Sports & Special Events Ranking

When analyzing television ratings, it is important to remember that broadcast networks operate on a traditional broadcast calendar (running from September through late summer, much like an academic school year). This report specifically tracks primetime programming metrics (measured primarily by Adults 18–49 Live+SD averages through September 20, 2026).

Because this dataset is strictly filtered for primetime evening hours, it highlights how major sports leagues, special events, and niche broadcasts compete directly against traditional evening entertainment like dramas and comedies.

A quick note about World Cup matches - kickoffs were mostly not in primetime.

2025/2026 Broadcast Season Sports & Special Events Ranking

(Ranked by Live+SD Total Viewers / Persons 2+)

  1. NBC Sunday Night Football (NBC) – 20,440,000 viewers (Demo: 4.73)

  2. Monday Night Football on ABC (ABC) – 11,574,000 viewers (Demo: 2.14)

  3. The OT [FOX NFL Postgame] (FOX) – 11,184,000 viewers (Demo: 2.56)

  4. FIFA Men WC Postgame (FOX) – 10,312,000 viewers (Demo: 2.64)

  5. FIFA Men WC Rain Delay (FOX) – 9,105,000 viewers (Demo: 2.73)

  6. FIFA Men WC Today - WK (FOX) – 8,542,000 viewers (Demo: 2.41)

  7. Saturday Night Football (ABC) – 7,668,000 viewers (Demo: 1.66)

  8. Football Night in America Part 2 (NBC) – 5,652,000 viewers

  9. FIFA Men WC Today - Pri (FOX) – 4,626,000 viewers

  10. FOX NASCAR Cup Series (FOX) – 4,481,000 viewers

  11. Notre Dame Football (NBC) – 3,988,000 viewers

  12. NBC B1G Sat Night Football (NBC) – 3,729,000 viewers

  13. NASCAR Cup Series Race (NBC) – 3,131,000 viewers

  14. NBC NBA Sun NT Bskbl (NBC) – 2,899,000 viewers

  15. FOX IndyCar NICS - Rain (FOX) – 2,878,000 viewers

  16. NBC WNBA Sun Bskbl (NBC) – 2,781,000 viewers

  17. FOX Sat Baseball - Rain Delay (FOX) – 2,658,000 viewers

  18. NBC MLB Sun NT Basebl (NBC) – 2,485,000 viewers

  19. FOX CFB Fri - Big10 Prime (FOX) – 2,421,000 viewers

  20. NBA Saturday Primetime (ABC) – 2,276,000 viewers

  21. FOX Saturday Baseball (FOX) – 2,019,000 viewers

  22. FOX CFB - Big10 Prime (FOX) – 1,970,000 viewers

  23. NBC MLB Rain Delay (NBC) – 1,890,000 viewers

  24. FOX C. Hoops - Big10 Prime (FOX) – 1,565,000 viewers

  25. Mission Foods NHRA Series (FOX) – 1,177,000 viewers

  26. Women's NCAA Volleyball - Friday (FOX) – 943,000 viewers (Demo: 0.18)

  27. MLS Soccer - Fri Prime (FOX) – 587,000 viewers (Demo: 0.12)

  28. MLS Soccer - Sun Evening (FOX) – 578,000 viewers (Demo: 0.13)

  29. MLS Soccer - Sun Prime (FOX) – 331,000 viewers (Demo: 0.08)

  30. LIV Golf - Sunday (FOX) – 320,000 viewers

  31. MLS Soccer - Prime (FOX) – 248,000 viewers (Demo: 0.06)

  32. AVP Volleyball League (CW) – ~231k – 234k viewers


Key Takeaways


  • The Football Hegemony: NFL windows (Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and postgame coverage like The OT) completely dominate the top tier, pulling anywhere from 11 million to over 20 million viewers.

  • The Volleyball Factor: Friday night Women's NCAA Volleyball pulls a healthy 943,000 viewers in its primetime slot, placing it ahead of standard regional MLS telecasts, golf blocks, and niche motorsports.

  • The Soccer Landscape: Because this report isolates primetime slots, MLS matches land in the 248k to 587k viewer range, aligning with specialized weekend sports windows and auxiliary programming.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Taking a Break from Recording Soccer Viewership Numbers

The recent downward adjustment of Telemundo and Peacock’s World Cup numbers by around 25% is just the latest incident prompting me to take a step back from tracking soccer viewership through a strictly "numbers-based" lens. 

I put "numbers-based" in quotes because, ever since the pandemic, the ground beneath us has shifted. Between the constant, confusing changes to Nielsen's base measurement systems, like the transition to "Big Data + Panel" metrics and the addition of out-of-home (OOH) tracking, it feels like we are comparing apples to oranges every year, let alone looking back several years. 

Throw in the messy integration of first-party streaming data (which seems to trigger massive, retroactive "corrections" weeks after the matches actually end), and it becomes clear we are chasing moving targets rather than solid metrics. It’s finally pushed me to take a step back and ask a simple question: is it actually worth the effort?

I'm still interested in the business of soccer on TV and will continue to stay close to it but I am putting in indefinite pause on tracking and recording (sparsely available) numbers.

I am looking forward to spending time elsewhere. So if you like posts about Little House and the Waltons along with soccer player evaluations to go along with soccer tv viewership commentary. Well, this is the place for you.

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Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Soccer Viewership JUN 1 - 7

This Nielsen data covers soccer programming across all pay-TV platforms, including linear streaming services (e.g., YouTube TV, Hulu). Repeat airings are generally excluded. Select broadcast numbers are occasionally included, though consistent data for these is limited. The same goes for streaming figures.

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P 18-49ALLShow NameEpisodeDateNet
5381145USA SOCCER MEN LUSA/GERMANY6/6TNT
262634USA SOCCER WOMEN LBRAZIL/USA6/6TNT
272534USA SOCCER POSTGAME6/6TNT
128385USA SOCCER POSTGAME6/6TNT
171369USA SOCCER PREGAME6/6TNT
132249USA SOCCER MEN L SIMUSA/GERMANY6/6TRU
86238USA SOCCER PREGAME6/6TNT
100209INTERNATIONAL SOCCERBRASIL/EGYPT6/6ESPD
109198INTERNATIONAL SOCCERARGENTINA/HONDURAS6/6ESPD
79152INTERNATIONAL SOCCERCOLOMBIA/JORDAN6/7ESPD
73125USA SOCCER POSTGAME SIM6/6TRU
56118USA SOCCER WOMEN L SIMBRAZIL/USA6/6TRU
4988USA SOCCER PREGAME SIM6/6TRU
3666USA SOCCER POSTGAME SIM6/6TRU
756LINEA DE CUATRO L6/4TUDN
2155FUTBOL CENTRAL THUSELECCION MEXICANA 6/4+UNI6/4TUDN
1649USA SOCCER PREGAME SIM6/6TRU
433CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/2TUDN
1532INTERNATIONAL SOCCERMOROCCO/NORWAY6/7ESPD
1329CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/5TUDN
628LINEA DE CUATRO L6/4TUDN
227LINEA DE CUATRO L6/2TUDN
823INTERNATIONAL SOCCERBOLIVIA/SCOTLAND6/6ESPD
522LINEA DE CUATRO L6/5TUDN
018COPA MUNDIAL 26: ANTESALA6/6UNVSO
617CONTACTO DEPORTIVO#NAME?6/2TUDN
1316SOCCERS AMERICAN DREAM105 A LEAGUE OF OUR OWN6/2VICE
214CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/3TUDN
614CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/5TUDN
413FUTBOL PICANTE L6/4ESPD
912CONTACTO DEPORTIVO#NAME?6/1TUDN
011CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/1TUDN
611LINEA DE CUATRO L6/3TUDN
311DIARIOS-FUTBOL-TEL-UNVSO6/6UNVSO
410FUTBOL PICANTE L6/2ESPD
010LINEA DE CUATRO L6/1TUDN
010LINEA DE CUATRO L6/1TUDN
38CONTACTO DEPORTIVO B#NAME?6/2TUDN
18LINEA DE CUATRO L6/3TUDN
77CONTACTO DEPORTIVO B#NAME?6/1TUDN
06EQUIPO FUTBOL L6/2ESPD
46CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/3TUDN
25FUTBOL PICANTE AFT L6/1ESPD
24EQUIPO FUTBOL L6/5ESPD
04LINEA DE CUATRO L6/2TUDN
04CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/4TUDN
34CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/6TUDN
03GENERACION FUTBOL L6/2ESPD
03GENERACION FUTBOL L6/5ESPD
33FUTBOL PICANTE L6/7ESPD
02FUTBOL PICANTE L6/3ESPD
02FUTBOL PICANTE AFT L6/4ESPD
12FUTBOL PICANTE AFT L6/5ESPD
02LINEA DE CUATRO L6/6TUDN
01COPA SUDAMERICANA HLGROUP STAGE6/1BEIE
11GENERACION FUTBOL L6/1ESPD
01EQUIPO FUTBOL L6/4ESPD
11GENERACION FUTBOL L6/4ESPD
11CONTACTO DEPORTIVO L6/7TUDN
00COPA LIBERTADORES HLGROUP STAGE6/1BEIE
00COPA LIBERTADORES HLGROUP STAGE6/1BEIN
00COPA SUDAMERICANA HLGROUP STAGE6/2BEIN
00EQUIPO FUTBOL L6/1ESPD
00FUTBOL PICANTE L6/1ESPD
00FUTBOL PICANTE AFT L6/2ESPD
00FUTBOL PICANTE AFT L6/3ESPD
00EQUIPO FUTBOL L6/3ESPD
00GENERACION FUTBOL L6/3ESPD
00FUTBOL PICANTE L6/5ESPD
00FUTBOL PICANTE6/6ESPD
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