Sports will account for 96 of the 100 most-watched television programs in 2025, tying the record set in 2023 and marking a significant increase from 87 in 2024, an Olympic and election year. Football, both college and NFL, drives much of this dominance, with 92 games expected to make the top 100 list.
The NFL alone is projected to contribute 84 telecasts, a strong showing though slightly below its 2023 record of 93.
College football also made notable gains thanks to the expanded College Football Playoff (CFP). Data shows that eight CFP games will rank among the year’s top 100, setting a new record for the sport. This total includes the New Year’s Eve Miami-Ohio State CFP quarterfinal, which is almost certain to reach the top-tier threshold.
Major League Baseball achieved a milestone as well, placing two World Series games among the top 100. Games 6 and 7 of the Dodgers-Blue Jays Fall Classic mark the first time since 2019 that MLB has earned multiple slots on the list.
College basketball maintained a presence with one game, the NCAA Men’s Championship, returning after the women’s title match appeared in 2024. The women’s game had drawn attention due to the performance of Iowa star Caitlin Clark, highlighting the ongoing rise of women’s college sports in the national consciousness.
Other non-football sports also saw notable entries. The Kentucky Derby returned to the top 100 for the first time since 2022, reversing a recent trend in which the event narrowly missed the ranking.
Among the four non-sports programs, two were political broadcasts. One was former President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress, and the other was his inauguration. Both telecasts aired across a dozen English-language networks, reflecting broad national interest. The remaining two non-sports entries were the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Academy Awards.
The projected list reflects the 2025 calendar year, not the Nielsen measurement year, which concluded this past Sunday. Events such as the Week 17 Falcons-Rams Monday Night Football game and the first CFP quarterfinal are included. The English-language list follows standard Nielsen measurement and excludes programs with unaccredited ratings, such as Netflix boxing events, as well as pre-game shows and programs under 30 minutes in length.
Overall, 2025 underscores the continuing dominance of football in American television, while other sports maintain a smaller but steady footprint.
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