List of most watched television broadcasts in the United States
The following is a list of most watched television broadcasts in the United States based on average viewership and household ratings measurement conducted by Nielsen. The Super Bowl has frequently been the most watched American television broadcast of the year. Super Bowl XLIX is currently the most watched U.S. television broadcast with 114.4 million viewers.
Most watched
Broadcasts of all-time
The following is the list of the most watched single-network television broadcasts in the United States by average viewership according to Nielsen. Twenty-nine of the thirty most watched broadcasts are Super Bowls, of which Super Bowl XLIX, with 114.4 million viewers, is number one. The most watched non-Super Bowl broadcasts are the finale of M*A*S*H in 1983, Dallas| Rank | Broadcast | Viewers | Date | Network |
| 1 | Super Bowl XLIX | 114,442,000 | February 1, 2015 | NBC |
| 2 | Super Bowl XLVIII | 112,191,000 | February 2, 2014 | Fox |
| 3 | Super Bowl 50 | 111,864,000 | February 7, 2016 | CBS |
| 4 | Super Bowl XLVI | 111,346,000 | February 5, 2012 | NBC |
| 5 | Super Bowl LI | 111,319,000 | February 5, 2017 | Fox |
| 6 | Super Bowl XLV | 111,041,000 | February 6, 2011 | Fox |
| 7 | Super Bowl XLVII | 108,693,000 | February 3, 2013 | CBS |
| 8 | Super Bowl XLIV | 106,476,000 | February 7, 2010 | CBS |
| 9 | M*A*S*H | 105,970,000 | February 28, 1983 | CBS |
| 10 | Super Bowl LII | 103,471,000 | February 4, 2018 | NBC |
| 11 | Super Bowl LIV | 100,466,000 | February 2, 2020 | Fox |
| 12 | Super Bowl XLIII | 98,732,000 | February 1, 2009 | NBC |
| 13 | Super Bowl LIII | 98,477,000 | February 3, 2019 | CBS |
| 14 | Super Bowl XLII | 97,448,000 | February 3, 2008 | Fox |
| 15 | Super Bowl XXX | 94,080,000 | January 28, 1996 | NBC |
| 16 | Super Bowl XLI | 93,184,000 | February 4, 2007 | CBS |
| 17 | Super Bowl XX | 92,570,000 | January 26, 1986 | NBC |
| 18 | Super Bowl XXVII | 90,990,000 | January 31, 1993 | NBC |
| 19 | Super Bowl XL | 90,745,000 | February 5, 2006 | ABC |
| 20 | Super Bowl XXVIII | 90,000,000 | January 30, 1994 | NBC |
| 20 | Super Bowl XXXII | 90,000,000 | January 25, 1998 | NBC |
| 22 | Super Bowl XXXVIII | 89,795,000 | February 1, 2004 | CBS |
| 23 | Super Bowl XXXVII | 88,637,000 | January 23, 2003 | ABC |
| 24 | Super Bowl XXXIV | 88,465,000 | January 30, 2000 | ABC |
| 25 | Super Bowl XXXI | 87,870,000 | January 26, 1997 | Fox |
| 26 | Super Bowl XXI | 87,190,000 | January 25, 1987 | CBS |
| 27 | Super Bowl XXXVI | 86,801,000 | February 3, 2002 | Fox |
| 28 | Super Bowl XXXIX | 86,072,000 | February 6, 2005 | Fox |
| 29 | Super Bowl XIX | 85,530,000 | January 20, 1985 | ABC |
| 30 | Super Bowl XVI | 85,240,000 | January 24, 1982 | CBS |
Series by year
Highest rated
Broadcasts of all-time
The highest rated broadcast of all-time is the final episode of M*A*S*H in 1983, with 60.2% of all households with television sets in the United States at that time watching the episode. Aside from Super Bowls, the most recent broadcast to receive a rating above 40 was the Seinfeld finale in 1998, with a 41.3.Nielsen only began recording a list of ratings for individual broadcasts starting in July 1960, therefore ratings before that time are not included in their official count.
| Rank | Broadcast | Rating | Share | Date | Network |
| 1 | M*A*S*H | 60.2 | 77 | February 28, 1983 | CBS |
| 2 | Dallas | 53.3 | 76 | November 21, 1980 | CBS |
| 3 | Roots | 51.1 | 71 | January 30, 1977 | ABC |
| 4 | Super Bowl XVI | 49.1 | 73 | January 24, 1982 | CBS |
| 5 | Super Bowl XVII | 48.6 | 69 | January 30, 1983 | NBC |
| 6 | 1994 Winter Olympics | 48.5 | 64 | February 23, 1994 | CBS |
| 7 | Super Bowl XX | 48.3 | 70 | January 26, 1986 | NBC |
| 8 | The Big Event | 47.7 | 65 | November 7, 1976 | NBC |
| 9 | Super Bowl XLIX | 47.5 | 71 | February 1, 2015 | NBC |
| 10 | Monday Night at the Movies | 47.4 | 64 | November 8, 1976 | NBC |
| 11 | Super Bowl XII | 47.2 | 67 | January 15, 1978 | CBS |
| 12 | Super Bowl XIII | 47.1 | 74 | January 21, 1979 | NBC |
| 12 | Super Bowl XLVI | 47.0 | 71 | February 5, 2012 | NBC |
| 13 | Super Bowl XLVIII | 46.7 | 69 | February 2, 2014 | Fox |
| 14 | The Bob Hope Vietnam Christmas Show | 46.6 | 64 | January 15, 1970 | NBC |
| 14 | Super Bowl 50 | 46.6 | 72 | February 7, 2016 | CBS |
| 16 | Super Bowl XVIII | 46.4 | 71 | January 22, 1984 | CBS |
| 16 | Super Bowl XIX | 46.4 | 63 | January 20, 1985 | ABC |
| 16 | Super Bowl XLVII | 46.4 | 69 | February 3, 2013 | CBS |
| 19 | Super Bowl XIV | 46.3 | 67 | January 20, 1980 | CBS |
| 20 | The ABC Sunday Night Movie | 46.0 | 62 | November 20, 1983 | ABC |
| 20 | Super Bowl XXX | 46.0 | 68 | January 28, 1996 | NBC |
| 20 | Super Bowl XLV | 46.0 | 69 | February 6, 2011 | Fox |
| 23 | The Fugitive | 45.9 | 72 | August 29, 1967 | ABC |
| 23 | Roots | 45.9 | 66 | January 28, 1977 | ABC |
| 25 | Super Bowl XXI | 45.8 | 66 | January 25, 1987 | CBS |
| 26 | Roots | 45.7 | 71 | January 27, 1977 | ABC |
| 27 | Cheers | 45.5 | 64 | May 20, 1993 | NBC |
| 27 | Super Bowl XXVIII | 45.5 | 66 | January 30, 1994 | NBC |
| 29 | The Ed Sullivan Show | 45.3 | 60 | February 9, 1964 | CBS |
| 29 | Super Bowl LI | 45.3 | 70 | February 5, 2017 | Fox |
| 30 | Super Bowl XXVII | 45.1 | 66 | January 31, 1993 | NBC |