List of most-watched television broadcasts

The following content contains the tentative list of the most-watched television broadcasts around the world in selected countries, with the corresponding peak viewership (or ratings share) records, the corresponding year of such broadcast, and the mentioned media research organizations tallying nationwide viewership records. However, the most-watched television broadcast in any of the following nations can also be broadcast simultaneously in other countries and rank among their most-watched television broadcasts as well.

Global

History

On 20 July 1969, an estimated 652 million people watched the live global broadcast of the Apollo 11 Moon landing (this constituted around one fifth of total population of the world at the time),[1][2] despite the fact that the first moonwalk took place in the middle of the night in Europe (at 01:56 in Iceland; 02:56 in Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom; 03:56 in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Yugoslavia and 04:56 in Finland, Greece and Turkey) and it was not broadcast on television or radio in the Eastern Bloc[3] (except in Romania (04:56)[4] and Poland) (03:56).[5]

The boxer Muhammad Ali drew record global television audiences during the 1970s to early 1980s. Estimates of Ali's worldwide television audiences for his "Rumble in the Jungle" fight against George Foreman in 1974,[6] "Thrilla in Manila" fight against Joe Frazier in 1975,[7] rematch against Leon Spinks in 1978,[8][9] and "Last Hurrah" fight against Larry Holmes in 1980, range between 1 billion and 2 billion people.[10] The 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, where Muhammad Ali lit the torch, was watched by an estimated 3.5 billion viewers.[11]

Another heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko regularly generated between 300 and 500 million viewers worldwide during his long reign as world heavyweight champion during the 2000s to mid 2010s.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

The funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 was watched by an estimated 2 billion people globally, making it the all-time most-watched royal event on live television in the world.

The original Live Aid was a dual-venue benefit concert held on 13 July 1985. It became an ongoing music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom (attended by 72,000 people) and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (attended by about 100,000 people).[20] Many similar events happened the same day in other countries, such as the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan, Yugoslavia, Austria, Australia and West Germany. It was one of the largest-scale television events of all time, watched across 150 nations, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion who watched the live broadcast.[21]

In 1990, Roger Waters played a concert in Berlin known as The Wall – Live in Berlin to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall. The concert was subject to a live audience of 450,000 and was broadcast to 35 countries, with an estimated broadcasting audience of 500 million to 1 billion people.[22][23]

Prominent personalities in the 1990s and 2000s such as David Hasselhoff and Mexico's Thalia (currently based in the U.S.) starred in primetime series such as the Las Tres Marias trilogy shows (Maria Mercedes, Marimar and Maria la del Barrio), Rosalinda and Baywatch, which were broadcast in about 180 countries. It's been expected that, in the 1970s, every single episode of the Mexican comedy show El Chavo del Ocho, created, directed, produced and starred by Roberto Gómez Bolaños "Chespirito", was watched by about 350 millon people across Latin America when it premiered;[24] both this show and some of Mexican telenovelas are among the world's most-watched non-U.S.-produced television series.

U.S. television programming remains one of the most popular forms of entertainment worldwide. This trend was initiated by U.S.-made broadcast network soap operas and sitcoms such as Dallas, M*A*S*H, The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, Friends and The Big Bang Theory by the mid-2000s, and then in the late 2000s and 2010s by U.S. medical dramas and police procedurals such as House, and the CSI and NCIS franchises. All of these are currently syndicated in more than 100 countries, and rank among the most-watched television series in the world, extending their dominance to a three-decade span.

In recent decades, the global popularity of U.S. television is rivaled by European television programming and television dramas from Latin America and Asia. The annual Eurovision Song Contest, considered to be one of the world's longest running and most-watched reality television franchises, annually attracted a peak of 600 million viewers during the mid-to-late 1980s. Eurovision has consistently ranked among the all-time most-watched live non-sports entertainment telecasts worldwide in the last 2 decades.[25][26] Idols, airing since 2001, has the largest collective global franchise viewership in the world to date, shown in versions in over 150 countries worldwide and has been watched by over 3.2 billion viewers.[27]

The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony set the record for the largest viewing figure for any sports event, reaching an average daily audience of 593 million worldwide.[28] Over 3.5 billion people saw some part of the 16-day coverage, including the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing-hosted Olympic games.[29] The FIFA World Cup[28][30] has attracted an average of 3.2 billion viewers in 2010 and 2014, making it the most-watched overall live event by average on television worldwide in the 21st century.

In 2010, over 1.1 billion people were reported to have watched the 2010–2011 Sydney New Year's Eve coverage,[31] constituting approximately 16% of the world population at that time and still remains the most-watched New Year's Eve live telecast in the world. As one of the first major New Year's celebrations globally each year, Sydney New Year's Eve annual coverage are live in all time zones in both Asia, Australia and Oceania on 31 December 2010 and 1 January 2011.

Few cable television programs have ranked among the world's most-watched television broadcasts beginning the mid-2010s. In particular, notable scripted series like Game of Thrones, Sherlock and Doctor Who, originating from both the U.S. and UK, have been currently aired to more than 100 countries. The annual Miss Universe and Miss World pageants, headquartered in the U.S. and UK, respectively, and aired live to more than 190 countries yearly, are said to have each regularly attracted more than 500 million viewers and consistently rank among the most-watched live annual entertainment telecasts in the world.[32]

Regional annual sporting events like the Super Bowl in the U.S., and the UEFA Champions League finals in Europe, televised live worldwide, have emerged among the world's most-watched television broadcasts.[33][34]

The 2015 Cricket World Cup is estimated to have been watched by an estimated 2.2 billion people.[35] The most widely watched match during the tournament was India vs. Pakistan, which is estimated to have drawn over 1 billion viewers.[36][37]

Most reality television franchise broadcasts and international sporting events (which are aired in several countries) tend to comprise some of the most-watched television programs, as tallied by their media research bases. Beginning the mid-2010s, the majority of the world's most-watched television broadcasts, including all of the world's major international sporting events, are often broadcast live via satellite across virtually all of the world's time zones in seven continents.[38][39][40]

List

   — Television broadcasts that held the viewership record

List of the most-watched television broadcasts of all time

Date(s)	Television broadcast(s)	Estimated audience (billions)	Source(s)	Content
27 July 2012 to 12 August 2012	London 2012 Summer Olympics	3.6	[29]	Olympic sports
5 August 2016 to 21 August 2016	Rio 2016 Summer Olympics	3.6	[41]
14 June 2018 to 15 July 2018	Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup	3.572	[42][43]	Association football
8 August 2008 to 24 August 2008	Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics	3.51	[29][44]	Olympic sports
19 July 1996 to 4 August 1996	Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics	3.5	[45][11]	Olympic sports
15 September 2000 to 1 October 2000	Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics	3.5	[46]
13 August 2004 to 29 August 2004	Athens 2004 Summer Olympics	3.5	[47]
10 June 1998 to 12 July 1998	France 1998 FIFA World Cup	3.4	[48][49]	Association football
11 June 2010 to 11 July 2010	South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup	3.2	[50]
12 June 2014 to 13 July 2014	Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup	3.2	[51]
31 May 2002 to 30 June 2002	2002 FIFA World Cup (Korea & Japan)	3	[52][53]
9 June 2006 to 9 July 2006	Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup	3	[54][55]
30 May 2019 to 14 July 2019	2019 ICC Cricket World Cup (England & Wales)	2.6	[56][57][36]	Cricket
8 February 2002 to 24 February 2002	Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics	2.1	[58]	Winter sports
10 February 2006 to 26 February 2006	Torino 2006 Winter Olympics	2.1	[59]
12 February 2010 to 28 February 2010	Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics	2.1	[59]
7 February 2014 to 23 February 2014	Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics	2.1	[41]
9 February 2018 to 25 February 2018	PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics	2.02	[60]
15 September 1978	Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks II	2	[8][9]	Professional boxing
19 July 1980 to 3 August 1980	Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics	2	[61]	Olympic sports
2 October 1980	Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes: The Last Hurrah	2	[10]	Professional boxing
28 July 1984 to 12 August 1984	Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics	2	[62][63]	Olympic sports
17 September 1988 to 2 October 1988	Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics	2	[64]
25 July 1992 to 9 August 1992	Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics	2	[65][66]
6 September 1997	Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales	2	[67]	Royal funeral
11 September 2001	September 11 attacks	2	[68]	Terrorist attack
2 July 2005	Live 8	2	[69]	Live concert
7 July 2009	Michael Jackson memorial service	2	[70]	Memorial service
13 July 1985	Live Aid	1.9	[21]	Live concert
19 May 2018	Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle	1.9	[71]	Royal wedding
17 July 1976 to 1 August 1976	Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics	1.5	[72]	Olympic sports
14 January 1973.	Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite	1.5	[73]	Concert
26 June 1976	Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki	1.4	[74][75]	Mixed martial arts
7 June 2019 to 7 July 2019	France 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup	1.12	[76]	Association Football
2 September 1989 to 26 February 2001	Baywatch	1.1	[77]	Drama series
31 December 2010 to 31 January 2011	Sydney New Year's Eve 2010–2011	1.1	[31]	New Year
30 October 1974	Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman: The Rumble in the Jungle	1	[6][78]	Professional boxing
1 October 1975	Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III: Thrilla in Manila	1	[7][79]
29 July 1981	Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer	1	[80]	Royal wedding
8 June 1990 to 8 July 1990	1990 FIFA World Cup Italia	1	[81]	Association football
21 July 1990	The Wall – Live in Berlin	1	[23]	Live concert
2 August 1990 to 28 February 1991	Gulf War	1	[82]	Military conflict
17 June 1994 to 17 July 1994	1994 FIFA World Cup USA	1	[83]	Association football
20 January 2009	First inauguration of Barack Obama	1	[84]	Presidential inauguration
2 April 2011	2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Final: India vs. Sri Lanka	1	[85]	Cricket
29 April 2011	Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton	1	[86]	Royal wedding
6 May 2012 to 27 May 2012	Satyamev Jayate: Season 1	1	[87]	Talk show
9 June 2016	Muhammad Ali memorial service	1	[88]	Memorial service
27 June 2016 to 7 July 2016	2016 Wimbledon Championships	1	[89]	Tennis

Records

List of television broadcast viewership records

Date(s)	Television broadcast(s)	Estimated audience (millions)	Source(s)	Content
6 May 1960	Wedding of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon	300	[90]	Royal wedding
25 August 1960 to 11 September 1960	Rome 1960 Summer Olympics	400	[91]	Olympic sports
22 November 1963	Assassination of John F. Kennedy	600	[92]	Assassination
10 October 1964 to 24 October 1964	Tokyo 1964 Summer Olympics	600	[93]	Olympic sports
12 October 1968 to 27 October 1968	Mexico 1968 Summer Olympics	600	[94]
20 July 1969	Apollo 11	600	[95]	Moon landing
26 August 1972 to 10 September 1972	Munich 1972 Summer Olympics	900	[96]	Olympic sports
5 September 1972 to 6 September 1972	Munich massacre	900	[96]	Mass shooting
30 October 1974	Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman: The Rumble in the Jungle	1,000	[6][78]	Professional boxing
1 October 1975	Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III: Thrilla in Manila	1,000	[7][79]
26 June 1976	Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki	1,400	[74][75]	Mixed martial arts
19 July 1976 to 3 August 1976	Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics	1,500	[72]	Olympic sports
27 September 1978	Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks II	2,000	[8][9]	Professional boxing
19 July 1980 to 3 August 1980	Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics	2,000	[61]	Olympic sports
2 October 1980	Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes: The Last Hurrah	2,000	[10]	Professional boxing
28 July 1984 to 12 August 1984	Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics	2,000	[62]	Olympic sports
28 July 1988 to 12 August 1988	Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics	2,000	[64]
25 July 1992 to 9 August 1992	Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics	2,000	[97]
19 July 1996 to 4 August 1996	Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics	3,500	[45][11]	Olympic sports
15 September 2000 to 1 October 2000	Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics	3,500	[46]
13 August 2004 to 29 August 2004	Athens 2004 Summer Olympics	3,500	[47]
8 August 2008 to 24 August 2008	Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics	3,510	[29]
27 July 2012 to 12 August 2012	London 2012 Summer Olympics	3,600	[29]
5 August 2016 to 21 August 2016	Rio 2016 Summer Olympics	3,600	[41]

International

Most-watched broadcasts of all time (Total Viewers)

The following is David Dale's approximate ranking of the most-watched television shows of all time in Australia using data from Nielsen Corporation and OzTAM.[98]

Rank	Show	Date	Network
1	Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales	1997	ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network, Ten Network
2	Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer	1981	ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network, Ten Network
3	2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony	2000	Seven Network
4	2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony	2000	Seven Network
5	Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton	2011	ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network, Ten Network
6	1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremony	1984	Ten Network
7	The World of The Seekers	1968	Ten Network
8	Boxing: Lionel Rose v Alan Rudkin	1964	Seven Network
9	The Sound of Music	1977	Nine Network
10	Roots (miniseries)	1977	Ten Network

Note: the funeral of Princess Diana, the Wedding of Prince Charles and the Wedding of Prince William were all carried by all 4 major networks and are counted together.

Most viewed broadcasts since 2001 (OzTAM 5 City Metro Average)

The following table is a list of the most viewed programs based on the OzTAM 5 City Metro Average rating system.[99][100] It does not include regional numbers (40% of the population) and uses the average viewership, not the peak viewership. Also note these ratings are not comparable with ratings before 2001 due to different methodologies used after this time.

Rank	Show	Number of viewers	Ratings	Year	Network
1	Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton	6.0 Million	–	2011	ABC, Network 7, Network 9, Network Ten, 7Two[101]
2	Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle	4.09 Million	–	2018	Seven Network, Nine Network, ABC, SBS, BBC UKTV, Sky News Live
3	2005 Australian Open – Men's Singles Final	4.043 Million	29.3	2005	Seven Network
4	MasterChef Australia (season 2) – finale challenge	4.029 Million	27.1	2010	Network Ten
5	2003 Rugby World Cup Final	4.016 Million	29.7	2003	Seven Network
6	MasterChef Australia (season 1) – finale challenge	3.726 Million	25.6	2009	Network Ten
7	2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony	3.561 Million	25.5	2006	Nine Network
8	2005 AFL Grand Final (Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles)	3.386 Million	24.5	2005	Network Ten
9	The Block (season 4): Winner Announced	3.370 Million	21.9	2011	Nine Network
10	Australian Idol: Final Verdict	3.344 Million	24.5	2003	Network Ten

Brazil

Rank	Show	Episode	Rating	Share	Date	Channel	Content	Source(s)
1	Selva de Pedra	Episode 152	77	100%	4 October 1972	Rede Globo	Telenovela	[102]
	Roque Santeiro	Episode 209	96	100%	22 February 1986	Rede Globo	Telenovela	[103][104]
2	Tieta	Episode 193	81	—	27 March 1990	Rede Globo	Telenovela	[105]
3	1998 FIFA World Cup	Brazil vs. Netherlands (semi-final)	73	—	7 July 1998	Globo, SBT, Manchete, Band	Association football	[106]
4	2002 FIFA World Cup	Brazil vs. Turkey (semi-final)	71	—	26 June 2002	Rede Globo	Association football	[102][107]
5	2002 FIFA World Cup	Germany vs. Brazil (final)	67	91%	30 June 2002	Rede Globo	Association football	[108]
6	América	Episode 203	66	82%	4 November 2005	Rede Globo	Telenovela	[109][110]

Canada

The two most-watched television broadcasts in Canadian history occurred during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. For the gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics, played between the United States and Canada, confirmed 16.6 million Canadians watched the whole game, roughly one-half of the country's entire population.[111] A groundbreaking 26.5 million Canadians watched some part of the game, over 80 percent of the country's 34-million-person population.[112] According to multiple sources, 13.3 million Canadians watched the games' opening ceremony, which was the previous record.[113]

Many believed the final game of the 1972 Summit Series had up to 18 million viewers, but only 4.3 million TVs tuned in. This statistic does not represent the reality that most school children (representing the tail end of the baby-boom i.e. a large population) nationwide watched the game in gymnasiums on only one or two TVs. 10.3 million people watched the ice hockey gold medal final of the 2002 Winter Olympics.[114]

China

China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala has regularly attracted between 700 million[115] to 1.17 billion viewers annually.[116][117]

The CCTV's main evening news broadcast Xinwen Lianbo has a daily audience of around 135 million people,[118] and it is also one of the most expensive shows in the world per advertising spots, with its 2013 advertising slots selling for a record of 5.4 billion yuan.[118]

A Chinese boxer Zou Shiming's professional boxing debut on 6 April 2013 generated an estimated 300 million viewers.[119][120][121] Another professional boxer Qiu Xiaojun attracted around 200 million people for his fight against Ghanaian fighter Raymond Commey on 12 February 2016.[122][123]

France

Rank	Event	Viewers	Share	Date	Network
1	Speech of the French President Emmanuel Macron in response to the COVID-19 pandemic	36,730,000	94.5%[124] · [125]	13 April 2020	TF1, France 2, France 3, Canal+, M6, C8, TMC, BFMTV, CNews, LCI, franceinfo
2		35,300,000	96.1%[126]	16 March 2020	TF1, France 2, France 3, M6, C8, TMC, BFMTV, CNews, LCI, franceinfo, L'Equipe
3		32,700,000	93.6%[126]	28 October 2020	TF1, France 2, France 3, M6, C8, TMC, BFMTV, CNews, LCI, franceinfo, L'Equipe
4	2018 FIFA World Cup Final: France vs Croatia	26,200,000	N/A	15 July 2018	TF1, BeIN Sports
5	Speech of the French President Emmanuel Macron in response to the COVID-19 pandemic	24,600,000	87%	12 March 2020	TF1, France 2, France 3, M6, C8, BFMTV, CNews, LCI, franceinfo, L'Equipe
6	1998 FIFA World Cup Final: Brazil vs France	23,647,000	88.4%	12 July 1998	TF1, Canal+
7	Speech of the French President Emmanuel Macron in response to the COVID-19 pandemic	23,610,000	85,6%	14 June 2020	TF1, France 2, France 3, M6, BFMTV, CNews, LCI, franceinfo
8	Speech of the French President Emmanuel Macron in response to the Yellow vests movement	23,000,000	81,4%	10 December 2018	TF1, France 2, M6, BFMTV, CNews, LCI, franceinfo
9	Speech of the French President François Hollande in response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting	22,400,000	N/A	13 November 2015	TF1, France 2, France 3, M6, BFMTV, CNews, LCI, franceinfo
10	UEFA Euro 2016 Final: Portugal vs France	22,292,000	72.9%	10 July 2016	M6, BeIN Sports
11	2006 FIFA World Cup Semi-final: Portugal vs France	22,200,000	76.7%	5 July 2006	TF1
12	2006 FIFA World Cup Final: Italy vs France	22,143,000	80.3%	9 July 2006	TF1
13	2018 FIFA World Cup Final: France vs Croatia	20,940,000	82.2%	15 July 2018	TF1, BeIN Sports
14	1998 FIFA World Cup Semi-final: France vs Croatia	20,597,000	81.8%	8 July 1998	TF1, Canal+
15	UEFA Euro 2016 Semi-final: Germany vs France	20,339,000	68.8%	7 July 2016	TF1, BeIN Sports
16	UEFA Euro 2000 Final: France vs Italy	20,279,000	77.5%	2 July 2000	TF1
17	2018 FIFA World Cup Semi-final: France vs Belgium	20,178,000	70.5%	10 July 2018	TF1, BeIN Sports
18	2006 FIFA World Cup Round of 16: Spain vs France	19,564,000	67.9%	27 June 2006	TF1
19	2006 FIFA World Cup Group stage: Togo vs France	18,331,000	70.0%	22 June 2006	TF1
20	2007 Rugby World Cup Semi-final: England vs France	18,307,000	67.4%	13 October 2007	TF1
21	UEFA Euro 2016 Quarter-final: France vs Iceland	18,274,000	60.0%	3 July 2016	M6, BeIN Sports
22	2014 FIFA World Cup quarter-final: France vs Germany	18,085,000	72.1%	4 July 2014	TF1, BeIN Sports
23	2006 FIFA World Cup Group stage: France vs South Korea	18,051,000	66.7%	18 June 2006	TF1
24	2006 FIFA World Cup quarter-final: Brazil vs France	17,939,000	73.1%	1 July 2006	TF1
25	2014 FIFA World Cup Group stage: Switzerland vs France	17,836,000	62.0%	20 June 2014	TF1, BeIN Sports
26	UEFA Euro 2000 Semi-final: France vs Portugal	17,691,000	70.5%	28 June 2000	France 2
27	1991 UEFA Champions League Final: Red Star Belgrade vs Olympique Marseille	17,500,000	68.3%	29 May 1991	TF1
28	Television show: Le Grand Bluff	17,400,000	74.0%	26 December 1992	TF1

Germany

Rank	Show	Episode	Number of viewers	Share	Date	Network
1	2014 FIFA World Cup	Germany vs Argentina (final)	34,650,000	86.3%	13 July 2014	Das Erste
2	2014 FIFA World Cup	Brazil vs Germany (semi-final)	32,570,000	87.8%	8 July 2014	ZDF
3	2010 FIFA World Cup	Germany vs Spain (semi-final)	31,100,000 ^1, 4	83.2%	7 July 2010	Das Erste
4	UEFA Euro 2016	Germany vs France (semi-final)	29,820,000	80.6%	7 July 2016	ZDF
5	2006 FIFA World Cup	Germany vs Italy (semi-final)	29,660,000 ^1, 2, 3	84.1%	4 July 2006	ZDF
6	UEFA Euro 2008	Germany vs Turkey (semi-final)	29,460,000	81.6%	25 June 2008	ZDF
7	2010 FIFA World Cup	Ghana vs. Germany (group game)	29,190,000 ^1, 4	79.7%	23 June 2010	Das Erste
8	1990 FIFA World Cup	West Germany vs Argentina (final)	28,660,000	87.9%	9 July 1990	Das Erste
9	UEFA Euro 1996	Germany vs Czech Republic (final)	28,440,000	76.3%	30 June 1996	ZDF
10	UEFA Euro 2016	Germany vs Italy (quarter-final)	28,320,000	79.8%	2 July 2016	Das Erste
11	2014 FIFA World Cup	Germany vs Algeria (Round of 16)	28,210,000	85.1%	30 June 2014	ZDF
12	UEFA Euro 2016	Germany vs Slovakia (Round of 16)	28,110,000	81.2%	26 June 2014	ZDF
13	UEFA Euro 2008	Austria vs Germany (group game)	28,040,000 ^1, 5	76.9%	16 June 2008	ZDF
14	UEFA Euro 2012	Germany vs Italy (semi-final)	27,980,000 ^6	76.8%	28 June 2012	Das Erste
15	The Black Forest Clinic	"Die Schuldfrage" ("The question of guilt")	27,970,000		17 November 1985	ZDF
16	2010 FIFA World Cup	Germany vs Australia (group game)	27,910,000 ^1, 4	74.4%	13 June 2010	Das Erste
17	UEFA Euro 2008	Portugal vs Germany (quarter-final)	27,700,000 ^1, 5	78.7%	19 June 2008	Das Erste
18	UEFA Euro 2012	Denmark vs Germany (group game)	27,650,000	74.2%	13 June 2012	ZDF
19	UEFA Euro 2016	Germany vs Poland (group game)	27,320,000	73.3%	16 June 2016	ZDF
20	2014 FIFA World Cup	USA vs Germany (group game)	27,250,000	84.2%	26 June 2014	ZDF

Note: The UEFA Euro 2008 final is missing from the list, because the lengthy trophy presentation was included into the official ratings. The game itself was watched by 28.05 million viewers.[127]

India

India measures the viewership of shows through TRP (Television Rating Point). Shows used to have higher ratings in 2000s as compared to present decade. The present shows that regularly score above or around the 3.5 mark are Kumkum Bhagya, and its spin off Kundali Bhagya along with Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. Sometimes these shows touch 4 which is still quite low as compared to highest rated shows of the last decade. Other than that Naagin (2015 TV series) is the only show now that scores above 4.7. All of these shows are produced by the same banner Balaji Telefilms except Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. Currently, Bigg Boss 13 has been the most watched Show of 2020, recording an 11.3 TRP for the Final and an average of 8.3 TRP on regular episodes, being the most watched reality show in India. Ironically, 2.5–3.5 TRP was considered an average in the 2000s era of classic serials. The most-watched channel for years has been Star Plus, then Zee TV with major competition from Colors. Mahabharat (1988–1990), the television adaptation of Indian epic Mahabharata, had a share of 97.8% among Indian viewers.[128]

Aamir Khan's talk show Satyamev Jayate (2012–2014) drew an estimated audience of 600 million viewers in India.[129] The 2016 ICC World Twenty20 cricket cup was watched by an estimated 730 million viewers in India, with India vs. Pakistan being the most widely watched live event during the tournament.[130] The Doraemon anime series is India's highest-rated children's television show as of 2017, with a total of 478.5 million viewers across Hungama TV and Disney Channel India.[131][132]

Rank	Show	TVR(mn impressions)	Network
1	Ramayan (1987 TV series) (Laxman vs Meghnath yudh)	77[133]	Doordarshan
2	Luv Kush (finale)	67.10	Doordarshan
3	2018 Indian Premier League Final	55.6 [134]	Star Network
4	Metti Oli (TV Series)	42.6	Sony Pictures Networks
6	Mahabharat (1988 TV series)	22.9	DD Bharati
7	Roja (TV Series)	13.00	SUN TV
8	Bharathi Kannamma (TV Series)	12.15	Star Vijay
9	Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand	10.0	Star Plus
10	Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin	9.2	Sony TV India
11	Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai	8.4	Star Plus
12	Diya Aur Baati Hum	7.7	Star Plus
13	Pavitra Rishta	7.3	Zee TV
14	Saath Nibhaana Saathiya	7.2	STAR PLUS
15	Naagin (2015 TV series)	6.1	Colors TV

Most viewed broadcasts

Rank	Show	Episode	Viewership(millions)	Date	Network
1	2011 Cricket World Cup	Sri Lanka vs India (final)	340[135]	2 April 2011	Star Sports Network
2	2015 Cricket World Cup	Australia vs India (semi-final)	309[136]	26 March 2015	Star Sports
3	2015 Cricket World Cup	India vs Pakistan (group stage match)	288[136]	15 February 2015	Star Sports
4	2015 Cricket World Cup	West Indies vs India (group stage match)	262[136]	6 March 2015	Star Sports
5	2015 Cricket World Cup	India vs South Africa (group stage match)	257[136]	22 February 2015	Star Sports
6	2015 Cricket World Cup	India vs Bangladesh (quarter-final)	251[136]	19 March 2015	Star Sports
7	2015 Cricket World Cup	Zimbabwe vs India (group stage match)	205[136]	14 March 2015	Star Sports
8	2017 ICC Champions Trophy	India vs Pakistan (group stage match)	201[137]	4 June 2017	Star Sports
9	2008 Indian Premier League	Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders (group stage match)	195[138]	18 April 2008	Sony Pictures Networks
10	2015 Cricket World Cup	Ireland vs India (group stage match)	168[136]	10 March 2015	Star Sports

Ireland

A list of most-watched shows in the Republic of Ireland in the 21st century was released in January 2015. The Late Late Toy Show held the top six spots, with the 2014 edition drawing 1,593,000 viewers: over one-third of the country's population. Other high-performing shows were Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, crime drama Love/Hate, Mrs. Brown's Boys, The Sunday Game, UEFA Euro 2012 and the Eurovision Song Contest.[139]

Japan

The following list is for Japanese anime only. The list covers broadcasts after 26 September 1977. Video Research had previously recorded an episode of the 1960s Astro Boy anime that earned a 40.3% rating.[140]

No.	Show	Household Rating	Date	Network
1	Chibi Maruko-chan	39.9%[141][142]	28 October 1990	Fuji TV
2	Sazae-san	39.4%	16 September 1979	Fuji TV
3	Dr. Slump	36.9%	16 December 1981	Fuji TV
4	Dokonjō Gaeru	34.5%	23 February 1979	NTV
5	Japanese Folklore Tales 2	33.6%	10 January 1981	TBS
6	Lupin the Third	32.5%	8 December 1978	NTV
7	Touch	31.9%	22 December 1985	Fuji TV
8	Ashita no Joe	31.6%	13 March 1980	NTV
9	Doraemon	31.2%	11 February 1983	TV Asahi
10	GeGeGe no Kitarō	29.6%	22 March 1986	Fuji TV

Mexico

A list of most-watched shows in the Mexico, Televisa and TV Azteca broadcasters (Liga MX Apertura and Clausura), Boxing, 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, (FIFA World Cup hosts 1970 & 1986), some concerts like Maná's Unidos por La Paz at Estadio Azteca in March 2001; in 2007, the last episode of La Fea Más Bella", Funeral events like Chespirito at December 2014 the creator of TV Series El Chavo and El Chapulín Colorado, and Celebration of Mexican political anniversaries in 2010 celebrate independence from Spain also called Bicentenario 2010, had an average audience of over 40 million views in Mexican Television.

Netherlands

Since 2002 Stichting KijkOnderzoek is keeping track of viewership of Dutch television channels.[143] All programs with a viewership over 7 million since the start of tracking are shown in the table below.

Rank	Show	Episode	Number of viewers	Date	Network
1	2014 FIFA World Cup	Netherlands vs Argentina (semi-final)	9,058,000	9 July 2014	NPO 1
2	2014 FIFA World Cup	Netherlands vs Mexico (round of 16)	8,738,000	29 June 2014	NPO 1
3	2010 FIFA World Cup	Netherlands vs Spain (final)	8,513,000	11 July 2010	Nederland 1
4	UEFA Euro 2004	Portugal vs Netherlands (semi-final)	8,512,000	6 June 2004	Nederland 2
5	2010 FIFA World Cup	Uruguay vs Netherlands (semi-final)	8,501,000	6 July 2010	NPO 1
6	2006 FIFA World Cup	Portugal vs Netherlands (round of 16)	8,252,000	25 June 2006	Nederland 2
7	Press Conference by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the COVID-19 pandemic		8,179,000	13 October 2020	NPO 1, RTL 4
8	2014 FIFA World Cup	Netherlands vs Chile (group stage)	8,098,000	23 June 2014	NPO 1
9	UEFA Euro 2012	Portugal vs Netherlands (group stage)	7,993,000	17 June 2012	Nederland 1
10	UEFA Euro 2012	Netherlands vs Germany (group stage)	7,984,000	13 June 2012	Nederland 1
11	2014 FIFA World Cup	Australia vs Netherlands (group stage)	7,880,000	18 June 2014	NPO 1
12	2006 FIFA World Cup	Netherlands vs Argentina (group stage)	7,667,000	21 June 2006	Nederland 2
13	UEFA Euro 2004	Netherlands vs Latvia (group stage)	7,647,000	23 June 2004	Nederland 2
14	UEFA Euro 2008	Netherlands vs Russia (quarter-final)	7,572,000	21 June 2008	Nederland 1
15	UEFA Euro 2004	Germany vs Netherlands (group stage)	7,647,000	15 June 2004	Nederland 2
16	UEFA Euro 2008	Netherlands vs France (group stage)	7,479,000	13 June 2008	Nederland 1
17	2014 FIFA World Cup	Netherlands vs Costa Rica (quarter-final)	7,459,000	5 July 2014	NPO 1
18	UEFA Euro 2004	Sweden vs Netherlands (quarter-final)	7,451,000	26 June 2004	Nederland 2
19	Press Conference by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the COVID-19 pandemic		7,269,000	21 April 2020	NPO 1, RTL 4
20	2014 FIFA World Cup	Spain vs Netherlands (group stage)	7,256,000	13 June 2014	NPO 1
21	2010 FIFA World Cup	Cameroon vs Netherlands (group stage)	7,185,000	24 June 2010	Nederland 1
22	Press Conference by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the COVID-19 pandemic		7,147,000	28 September 2020	NPO 1, RTL 4
23	2006 FIFA World Cup	Netherlands vs Ivory Coast (group stage)	7,136,000	16 June 2006	Nederland 2
24	Peter R. de Vries: Crime Reporter	Undercover interview with Joran van der Sloot regarding the disappearance of Natalee Holloway	7,185,000	13 June 2010	SBS 6
25	UEFA Euro 2004	Netherlands vs Czech Republic (group stage)	7,073,000	19 June 2004	Nederland 2
26	2010 FIFA World Cup	Netherlands vs Brazil (quarter-final)	7,031,000	2 July 2010	NPO 1

New Zealand

In 2011, the television website Throng published a list of the 12 most-watched television broadcasts in New Zealand from 1995 to 2011. This is based on average viewership of the program, but it does not include broadcasts from before 1995 or after 2011.[144]

The Rugby World Cup has frequently had large audiences – the Rugby World Cup 2011 final, and a semi-final, both had an average audience of over 2 million.

This television-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

No.	Show	Viewship	Date	Network
01	2011 Rugby World Cup Final (NZ v France)	2,036,900	23 October 2011	TV 1, TV 3, Prime, Sky Sports, Maori TV
02	2011 Rugby World Cup Semi-final (NZ v Australia)	2,024,000	16 October 2011	TV 1, TV 3, Prime, Sky Sports, Maori TV
03	2011 Rugby World Cup Opening Game (NZ v Tonga)	1,930,000	9 September 2011	TV 1, Prime, Sky Sports, Maori TV
04	Boxing: Lennox Lewis vs. David Tua World Title Defence	1,841,230	12 November 2000	TV 3
05	One News special – Death of Diana, Princess of Wales	1,703,310	31 August 1997	TV 1
06	2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony	1,654,310	15 September 2000	TV 1
07	One News special – Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales	1,649,710	6 September 1997	TV 1
08	2011 Rugby World Cup Qtr Final (NZ v Argentina)	1,624,400	9 October 2011	TV 1, TV 3, Prime, Sky Sports, Maori TV
09	2003 Rugby World Cup Final (England v Australia)	1,604,800	22 November 2003	TV 1
10	Martin Bashir's interview with Diana, Princess of Wales	1,516,780	21 November 1995	TV 2
11	2011 Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony	1,499,160	9 September 2011	TV 1
12	2007 Rugby World Cup (NZ v France)	1,410,410	7 October 2007	TV 3

AGB Nielsen

The following table shows the all-time highest rating television shows in Mega Manila as tallied by AGB Nielsen since 1992. However, ratings are from a single highest recorded episode of the show (in the case of the TV series) and it is not the average over-all ratings for the whole season or series.

Top 20 highest rated television programs in Mega Manila since 1992
(AGB Nielsen tallies)[145][146]

Rank	Network	Program	Year	Rating
1	ABS-CBN	The Battle: Manny Pacquiao vs. Erik Morales	2006	83.5%
2	ABS-CBN	Rosalinda	1999	69.8%
3	ABS-CBN	Esperanza	1997	67.0%
4	ABS-CBN	Pangako Sa 'Yo	2002	64.9%
5	ABS-CBN	Meteor Garden	2003	63.8%
6	ABS-CBN	Miss Universe 1994	1994	62.5%
7	RPN	Marimar	1996	61.7%
8	ABS-CBN	María Mercedes	1996	59.7%
9	RPN	Miss Universe 1999	1999	58.4%
10	GMA	Bubble Gang	1997	57.6%
11	ABS-CBN	Maalaala Mo Kaya	1992	57.3%
12	ABS-CBN	Balitang K	1998	56.6%
13	ABS-CBN	Wansapanataym	1997	56.4%
14	ABS-CBN	TV Patrol	1996	56.0%
15	GMA	i-Witness	1999	55.3%
16	ABS-CBN	Magandang Gabi, Bayan	2000	55.0%
17	GMA	MariMar	2007	54.9%
18	ABS-CBN	Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar Larios	2006	54.4%
19	GMA	Darna	2005	54.3%
20	ABS-CBN	Mula Sa Puso	1997	53.7%

Poland

List of the 10 most-watched television broadcasts since the beginning of telemetry research in Poland (since 1997) by Nielsen Media Research:[147][148][149][150][151][152][153]

Rank	Program	Date	Channel	Number of viewers	Share
1	Funeral of Pope John Paul II	8 April 2005	TVP1, TVP2, TVP3, Polsat, TVN, TVN24 and others	Over 21,400,000	Almost 90%
2	UEFA Euro 2016: Poland vs Portugal (quarter-final)	30 June 2016	TVP1, Polsat, Polsat Sport	15,974,822	86.57%
3	UEFA Euro 2012: Poland vs Russia (group stage)	12 June 2012	TVP1, TVP Sport, TVP HD	14,683,216	81.51%
4	UEFA Euro 2016: Germany vs Poland (group stage)	16 June 2016	TVP1, Polsat, Polsat Sport	14,352,012	80.89%
5	UEFA Euro 2012: Czech Republic vs Poland (group stage)	16 June 2012	TVP1, TVP Sport, TVP HD	14,070,492	81.28%
6	FIFA World Cup 2018: Poland vs Colombia (group stage)	24 June 2018	TVP1, TVP Sport	13,631,335	75.45%
7	UEFA Euro 2012: Poland vs Greece (group stage)	8 June 2012	TVP1, TVP Sport, TVP HD	13,308,343	83.78%
8	2002 Winter Olympics: Ski Jumping Men's K120 Individual (Adam Małysz's silver medal)	13 February 2002	TVP1	13,259,612	75.15%
9	Funeral of President Lech Kaczyński and First Lady Maria Kaczyńska	18 April 2010	TVP1, TVP2, TVP Info, Polsat, Polsat News, TVN, TVN 24 and others	13,033,967	86.68%
10	UEFA Euro 2016: Ukraine vs Poland (group stage)	21 June 2016	TVP1, Polsat, Polsat Sport	12,639,308	81.67%

Portugal

[154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161][162][163][164]

Rank	Show	Episode	Rating	Share	Date	Channel
1	UEFA Euro 2004	Portugal vs The Netherlands (semi-final)	40.1	85.4%	30 June 2004	RTP1
2	UEFA Euro 2012	Portugal vs Spain (semi-final)	39.5	76.0%	27 June 2012	SIC
3	UEFA Euro 2004	Portugal vs England (quarter-final)	39.0	85.1%	24 June 2004	RTP1
4	UEFA Euro 2016	Portugal vs Wales (semi-final)	38.4	75.4%	6 July 2016	RTP1
5	UEFA Euro 2016	Portugal vs France (final)	38.2	78.1%	10 July 2016	RTP1
6	UEFA Euro 2012	Portugal vs The Netherlands (group stage match)	38.1	73.4%	17 June 2012	TVI
7	2014 FIFA World Cup	United States vs Portugal (group stage match)	37.8	75.4%	22 June 2014	RTP1
8	UEFA Euro 2004	Portugal vs Greece (final)	37.7	89.7%	4 July 2004	RTP1
9	UEFA Euro 2016	Poland vs Portugal (quarter-final)	37.4	69.9%	30 June 2016	RTP1
10	2006 FIFA World Cup	Portugal vs France (semi-final)	37.2	82.3%	5 July 2006	SIC
11	A Próxima Vítima	The Last Episode	37.1	80.2%	19 January 1996	SIC
12	UEFA Euro 2012	Czech Republic vs Portugal (quarter-final)	36.1	71.7%	21 June 2012	RTP1
13	UEFA Euro 2004	Russia vs Portugal (group stage match)	35.5	81.4%	16 June 2004	SIC
14	UEFA Euro 2016	Portugal vs Iceland (group stage match)	35.1	68.6%	14 June 2016	RTP1
15	UEFA Euro 2004	Spain vs Portugal (group stage match)	34.9	83.2%	20 June 2004	TVI
16	2006 FIFA World Cup	Portugal vs The Netherlands (round of 16)	34.9	80.7%	25 June 2006	SIC
17	UEFA Euro 2008	Portugal vs Germany (quarter-finals)	34.5	75.6%	19 June 2008	TVI
18	2015 Portuguese legislative election	Debate: António Costa vs. Pedro Passos Coelho	34.1	66%	10 September 2015	RTP1, SIC, TVI
19	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification	Sweden vs Portugal (second leg playoff match)	34.1	62.2%	19 November 2013	RTP1
20	UEFA Europa League	SL Benfica vs Chelsea FC (final)	33.8	62.3%	16 May 2013	SIC
21	UEFA Euro 2000	France vs Portugal (Semi-finals)	33.2	76.7%	28 June 2000	RTP1
22	2006 FIFA World Cup	Angola vs Portugal (group stage match)	32.8	80.9%	11 June 2006	SIC
23	2018 FIFA World Cup	Iran vs Portugal (group stage match)	32.4	71.6%	25 June 2018	RTP1
24	UEFA Euro 2012	Germany vs Portugal (group stage match)	32.4	68.3%	9 June 2012	RTP1
25	O Rei do Gado	Brazilian telenovela	32.2	67.5%	January 1997	SIC
26	UEFA Champions League	Monaco vs Porto (final)	31.7	70.5%	26 May 2004	RTP1
27	UEFA Euro 2016	Croatia vs Portugal (Round of 16)	31.3	70%	26 June 2016	RTP1
28	UEFA Europa League	Sevilla FC vs SL Benfica (final)	31.1	61.4%	14 May 2014	SIC
29	UEFA Champions League	Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid (final)	30.8	64.3%	24 May 2014	TVI
30	Terra Nostra	Brazilian telenovela	30.8	64%	11 January 2000	SIC
31	2006 FIFA World Cup	Portugal vs Iran	30.4	83.1%	17 June 2006	SIC
32	UEFA Europa League	Juventus FC vs SL Benfica (semi-final)	30.4	58.9%	1 May 2014	SIC
33	Big Brother Portugal	Live eviction show	30.2	72.5%	26 December 2000	TVI
34	2018 FIFA World Cup	Uruguay vs Portugal (round of 16)	30.1	70.1%	30 June 2018	RTP1
35	2018 FIFA World Cup	Portugal vs Spain (group stage match)	30.1	69.1%	15 June 2018	RTP1
36	UEFA Cup	Sporting CP vs CSKA Moscow (Final)	30.1	68.4%	18 May 2005	RTP1
37	Taça de Portugal	SL Benfica vs Sporting CP (Sixth round)	29.9	62.6%	26 January 2005	RTP1
38	Torre de Babel	Brazilian telenovela	29.8	77.1%	2 April 1999	SIC
39	UEFA Euro 2008	Switzerland vs Portugal	29.8	71.8%	15 June 2008	TVI
40	UEFA Cup	Celtic FC vs FC Porto	29.7	67.5%	21 May 2003	RTP1
41	2006 FIFA World Cup	Germany vs Portugal (third place play-off)	29.6	78.4%	8 July 2006	SIC
42	UEFA Champions League	Barcelona vs Benfica (quarter-finals)	29.3	65.4%	5 April 2006	RTP1
43	2006 FIFA World Cup	England vs Portugal (quarter-finals)	29.2	88.1%	1 July 2006	SIC
44	2010 FIFA World Cup	Spain vs Portugal (Round of 16)	29.1	75.9%	29 June 2010	RTP1
45	Juntos Por Todos	Benefit concert	28.8	67.8%	27 June 2017	RTP1, SIC, TVI
46	Médico de Família	Portuguese TV series	27.9	61.4%	16 March 1999	SIC

South Korea

Viewership ratings are provided by two companies in South Korea, AGB Nielsen Media Research and TNmS. Originally Media Service Korea was the only company providing such information, and it was later acquired by Nielsen Media Research. In 1999 TNS Media Korea also began such service, and later changed its name to TNmS. AGB collects viewership data based on 2050 households, while TNmS has 2000 households with measuring devices. Drama ratings usually vary between the two companies by 2–3%.[165]

Top 20 most-watched South Korean dramas since 1992 (AGB Nielsen tallies)

#	Drama	Channel	Viewership	Date
1.	First Love	KBS2	65.8%	20 April 1997
2.	What is Love	MBC	64.9%	24 May 1992
3.	Sandglass	SBS	64.5%	6 February 1995
4.	Hur Jun	MBC	63.7%	27 June 2000
5.	Sunny Place of Youth	KBS2	62.7%	12 November 1995
6.	You and I	MBC	62.4%	12 April 1998
7.	The Son and the Daughter	MBC	61.1%	21 March 1993
8.	Taejo Wang Geon	KBS1	60.2%	20 May 2001
9.	Eyes of Dawn	MBC	58.4%	6 February 1992
10.	Dae Jang Geum	MBC	57.8%	23 March 2004
11.	Lovers in Paris	SBS	57.6%	15 August 2004
12.	See and See Again	MBC	57.3%	12 October 1998
13.	Truth	MBC	56.5%	24 February 2000
14.	Jealousy	MBC	56.1%	21 July 1992
15.	Even When the Wind Blows	KBS1	55.8%	26 February 1996
16.	Bathhouse Men	KBS2	53.4%	25 August 1996
17.	Gook Hee (tie)	MBC	53.1%	16 November 1999
17.	Trap of Youth (tie)	SBS	53.1%	15 April 1999
19.	Tomato	SBS	52.7%	3 June 1999
20.	M	MBC	52.2%	30 August 1994

Sweden

Statistics from Mediamätning Skandinavien.[166]

Most-watched programmes per year

Year	Programme	Date	Number of viewers (millions)	Network
2000	Melodifestivalen 2000	10 March	4.175	SVT2
2001	Melodifestivalen 2001	23 February	3.84	SVT1
2002	Melodifestivalen 2002	1 March	3.72	SVT1
2003	Melodifestivalen 2003	15 March	3.815	SVT1
2004	Melodifestivalen 2004	20 March	4.105	SVT1
2005	Melodifestivalen 2005	12 March	4.055	SVT1
2006	Melodifestivalen 2006	18 March	4.240	SVT1
2007	Melodifestivalen 2007	10 March	3.975	SVT1
2008	Melodifestivalen 2008	15 March	4.045	SVT1
2009	Melodifestivalen 2009	14 March	3.59	SVT1
2010	Melodifestivalen 2010	13 March	3.87	SVT1
2011	Melodifestivalen 2011	12 March	3.67	SVT1
2012	Melodifestivalen 2012	10 March	4.11	SVT1
2013	Melodifestivalen 2013	9 March	4.15	SVT1
2014	Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar god jul	24 December	3.705	SVT1
2018	Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar god jul	24 December	3.786	SVT1
2019	Melodifestivalen 2019	14 March	3.652	SVT1

Most-watched sport events per year

Year	Programme	Date	Number of viewers (millions)	Network
2000	UEFA Euro 2000 Final (FRA–ITA)	2 July	2.34	SVT2
2001	2001 World Men's Handball Championship Final (FRA–SWE)	4 February	2.635	TV4
2002	2002 European Men's Handball Championship Final (SWE–GER)	3 February	3.06	TV4
2003	2003 FIFA Women's World Cup Final (GER–SWE)	12 October	3.525	TV4
2004	UEFA Euro 2004 (SWE–DEN)	22 June	3.796	TV4
2005	2005 World Championships in Athletics	7 August	4.055	TV4
2006	2006 Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Final (SWE–FIN)	26 February	3.52	SVT2
2007	FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2007 – Women's slalom	16 February	2.23	SVT1
2008	UEFA Euro 2008 (GRE–SWE)	10 June	3.03	TV4
2009	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 1 (DEN–SWE)	10 October	1.805	Kanal 5
2010	2010 FIFA World Cup Final (NED–ESP)	11 July	2.66	SVT1
2011	2011 IIHF World Championship Final (SWE–FIN)	15 May	2.035	TV3
2012	UEFA Euro 2012 (UKR–SWE)	11 June	2.94	SVT1
2013	2013 IIHF World Championship Final (SWE–SUI)	19 May	2.915	TV4
2014	2014 FIFA World Cup (GER–ARG)	13 July	2.810	TV4
2015	FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2015	1 May	2.272	SVT1

United Kingdom

Most-watched special events

Special events attracting large audiences are often carried on more than one channel. The most-watched programme of all time on a single channel is the 1973 wedding ceremony of Princess Anne, shown only on BBC1. The figures in these tables represent the average viewership achieved by each broadcast during its run-time and do not include peak viewership.

• Post-1981 figures verified by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB)
• Pre-1981 figures supplied by the British Film Institute (BFI)

Rank	Event	Viewers (millions)	Date	Network(s)
1	1966 FIFA World Cup Final: England v West Germany	32.30[167]	30 July 1966	BBC One/ITV
2	Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales	32.10[168]	6 September 1997	BBC One/ITV
3	Royal Family (documentary)	30.69[167]	21 June 1969 and 28 June 1969	BBC One/ITV
4	Apollo 13 Splashdown	28.60[169]	17 April 1970	BBC One/ITV
5	1970 FA Cup Final replay	28.49[169]	29 April 1970	BBC One/ITV
6	Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer	28.40[170]	29 July 1981	BBC One/ITV
7	Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips	27.60[169]	14 November 1973	BBC One
8	Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statement on COVID-19	27.1[171]	23 March 2020	BBC One/ITV/Channel 4/Channel 5/Sky News/BBC News
9	2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony	24.46[172]	12 August 2012	BBC One
10	2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony	24.24[172]	27 July 2012	BBC One

Notes:

• The Wedding of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon (6 May 1960) was watched by an estimated 25 million viewers in Britain.[90]
• At least two Muhammad Ali boxing matches were reported to have been watched by at least 26 million viewers in the United Kingdom: the Fight of the Century (Ali vs. Frazier) was reported to have been watched by 27.5 million British viewers in 1971,[173] and The Rumble in the Jungle (Ali vs. Foreman) was reported to have been watched by 26 million viewers on BBC One in 1974.[174]
• Live Aid is reported to have reached approximately 24.5 million British viewers in July 1985.[175]
• The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton (29 April 2011) received a total audience peak of 26 million viewers, but this is a combined figure aggregated from the ten different channels that broadcast the ceremony. The highest figures of these were 13.59 million on BBC1, with an extra 4.02 million watching on ITV.[176]

Most-watched programmes

The following is a list of most-watched programmes, excluding sporting events and news coverage. The mid-1980s introduction of in-week repeat showings accounts for six of the top ten programmes. On this measure, the 1996 Christmas edition of Only Fools and Horses is the most-watched non-repeated, non-documentary programme of all time in the UK. It is the third most-watched programme of all time on a single channel, after the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony and the wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips in 1973 (see below).

• Post-1981 figures verified by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB)
• Pre-1981 figures supplied by the British Film Institute

Rank	Show	Episode	Number of viewers (millions)	Date	Network
1	EastEnders	Den Watts serves wife Angie with divorce papers.	30.15[177]	25 December 1986*	BBC One
2	EastEnders	Michelle Fowler reveals that she is pregnant to Lou Beale.	28.00[178]	1 January 1986*	BBC One
3	Coronation Street	Fan favourite Hilda Ogden leaves, having appeared continuously since 1964.	26.65[178]	25 December 1987*	ITV (Granada)
4	Only Fools and Horses	"Time on Our Hands"	24.35[179]	29 December 1996	BBC One
5	EastEnders	N/A	24.30[168]	2 January 1992*	BBC One
6	Royal Variety Performance 1965	Ft. Dame Shirley Bassey, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore CBE and more.	24.20[167]	14 November 1965	ITV (ATV)
7	EastEnders	N/A	24.15[180]	7 January 1988*	BBC One
8	To the Manor Born	"A Touch of Class" – Series 1 Finale	23.95[169]	11 November 1979	BBC One
9	Miss World 1967	Madeline Hartog-Bel (Miss Peru) wins.	23.76[167]	19 November 1967	BBC One
10	EastEnders	N/A	23.55[181]	26 December 1985*	BBC One
11	Panorama	Diana, Princess of Wales	22.78[182]	20 November 1995	BBC One
12	Royal Variety Performance 1975	Bruce Forsyth, Dad's Army & Vera Lynn	22.66[169]	16 November 1975	ITV (ATV)
13	This Is Your Life	Lord Mountbatten	22.22[169]	27 April 1977	ITV (Thames)
14	Sunday Night at the London Palladium	Variety of celebrities, including Jimmy Tarbuck and Shirley Bassey.	21.89[167]	3 December 1967	ITV (ATV)
15	The Benny Hill Show	Cinema: The Vintage Years	21.67[169]	24 March 1971	ITV (Thames)
16	Dallas	"Who Done It" – Kristin Shepard is revealed to have shot J.R. Ewing.	21.60[170]	22 November 1980	BBC One
	Coronation Street	Ken and Deirdre Barlow officially divorce.	21.60[168]	8 January 1992	ITV (Granada)
18	Eurovision Song Contest 1973	Anne-Marie David wins for Luxembourg.	21.56[169]	7 April 1973	BBC One
19	Steptoe and Son	"The Lodger" – Albert looks for a lodger.	21.54[167]	18 February 1964	BBC TV
20	The Mike Yarwood Show	Mike Yarwood Christmas Show	21.40[169]	25 December 1977	BBC One
	Coronation Street	Bet Lynch becomes landlady of the Rovers Return Inn.	21.40[181]	2 January 1985	ITV (Granada)

*Denotes aggregated figure with repeat showing.

United States

NBC's live telecast of Super Bowl XLIX in 2015 holds the record for the largest average viewership of any live single-network U.S. television broadcast, with 114.4 million viewers.[183] During this broadcast, the halftime show was watched by 118.5 million viewers.[183] The previous live telecast Super Bowl XLV in February 2011 helped Fox become the first television network in the United States to be watched by at least 100 million American viewers by average for a single primetime night of programming.[184] Moreover, Super Bowl telecasts account for 23 of the most-watched television broadcasts based on overall viewership in U.S. television history.[185] Fox's live telecast of Super Bowl LI in 2017 currently holds the largest total viewership in U.S. television history, peaking at 172 million viewers in Super Bowl's first ever overtime play.

Additionally, the National Football League (or NFL) regular season is watched since 2012 by at least 200 million individuals in the United States, accounting for the largest consistent annual nationwide viewership for any television event in U.S. television history (representing almost 70% of the American households, more than 80% of the total U.S. television viewers, and more than half of the 2020 U.S. population of 340 million individuals).

Most-watched broadcasts

Event	Viewership (millions)[186][187]	Date	Network
Apollo 11 EVA	125–150[188][189][190]	20 July 1969	multiple
Super Bowl XLIX	114.4	1 February 2015	NBC
Super Bowl XLVIII	112.2	2 February 2014	Fox
Super Bowl 50	111.9	7 February 2016	CBS
Super Bowl XLVI	111.3	5 February 2012	NBC
Super Bowl LI	111.3	5 February 2017	Fox
Super Bowl XLV	111.0	6 February 2011	Fox
Richard Nixon resignation speech	110[189]	9 August 1974	multiple
Super Bowl XLVII	108.7	3 February 2013	CBS
Super Bowl XLIV	106.5	7 February 2010	CBS
M*A*S*H ("Goodbye, Farewell and Amen")	105.9[191]	28 February 1983	CBS
Super Bowl LII	103.4	4 February 2018	NBC
Super Bowl LIV	100.4	2 February 2020	Fox
Roots ("Part VIII")	100.0[192]	30 January 1977	ABC
The Day After	100.0 (at least)	20 November 1983	ABC
Super Bowl XLIII	98.7	1 February 2009	NBC
Super Bowl LIII	98.2	3 February 2019	CBS
Super Bowl XLII	97.4	3 February 2008	Fox
Police pursuit of O.J. Simpson	95[193][194]	17 June 1994	multiple
Super Bowl XXX	94.1	28 January 1996	NBC
Super Bowl XLI	93.2	4 February 2007	CBS
Super Bowl XX	92.6	26 January 1986	NBC
Super Bowl XXVII	91.0	31 January 1993	NBC
Super Bowl XL	90.7	5 February 2006	ABC
Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks II	90.0[195][196]	15 September 1978	ABC
Super Bowl XXVIII	90.0	30 January 1994	NBC

References

Sources

• Mytton, Graham (14 August 2012). "Global Media Research: Can We Know Global Audiences? A View from a BBC Perspective". In Ingrid Volkmer (ed.). The Handbook of Global Media Research. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 40–54. ISBN 9781118255292. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
• https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/man-vs-wild-episode-featuring-pm-modi-was-most-trending-televised-event-claims-bear-grylls-4351101.html
• https://in.mashable.com/entertainment/5924/pm-narendra-modis-man-vs-wild-stint-with-bear-grylls-is-officially-the-most-watched-episode-on-tv

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