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.

Top Broadcast Shows Last Week

I did not receive the weekly PayTV viewership report for last week. Here is some interesting info on the most watched shows in the 18-49 demo. As you can see, this outperforms much of what is on PayTV.

Big N LS CC P18-49 Imps (in 000)	Show Name	Date
2,633	FOX+FS1 MLB ALCS: GM	10/20
2,480	ABC NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL	10/20
1,880	DANCING WITH THE STARS	10/21
1,784	NBA ON NBC TIP-OFF	10/21
903	SURVIVOR	10/22
482	CHICAGO FIRE	10/22
494	GEORGIE & MANDYS FIRST	10/23
527	GHOSTS	10/23
502	9-1-1 NASHVILLE SP	10/20
481	ABBOTT ELEMENTARY	10/22
504	SHIFTING GEARS	10/22
447	CHICAGO MED	10/22
419	CHICAGO PD	10/22
368	LAW & ORDER	10/23
453	LAW & ORDER:SVU	10/23
384	VOICE	10/20
382	AMAZING RACE	10/22
360	DMV	10/20
410	NCIS	10/21

Below includes all demographics. It's an important reminder that Broadcast TV still brings in big numbers. For comparison, converting to streaming metrics, a show like Dancing with the Stars would be number one on Nielsen's Top 10 weekly streaming programs.

Big N LS CC P2+ Imps (in 000s)	Show Name	Date
10,355	ABC NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL	10/20
8,910	FOX+FS1 MLB ALCS: GM	10/20
6,630	DANCING WITH THE STARS	10/21
5,787	NCIS	10/21
5,275	CHICAGO MED	10/22
5,238	CHICAGO FIRE	10/22
5,183	GEORGIE & MANDYS FIRST	10/23
4,867	NBA ON NBC TIP-OFF	10/21
4,621	VOICE	10/20
4,440	MATLOCK (2024)	10/23