The NFL Was Responsible For *93* Of The 100 Most-Watched Broadcasts In The U.S. in 2023

Ahmad Austin Jr.Jan 5th, 2024, 2:32 pm
 
The NFL logo shield is painted on the playing field in the end zone during an NFL football game

Scott Boehm/AP

The NFL achieved an unprecedented level of cable TV dominance in 2023, claiming 93 of the top 100 most-watched broadcasts in the U.S.

The most-watched broadcast of the year, according to a report from Sportico, was Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Behind it were 19 other NFL games to complete a clean sweep of the top 20.

Three college football games also cracked the top 100, bringing the total to 96 American football games out of the top 100 most watched broadcasts. The non-football programs included the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 95th Academy Awards, and the State of the Union Address.

Last year, the NFL managed to capture a much larger share of the top 100 than in other years. In 2020, for example, NFL games made up 72 of the top 100. That share increased to 75 in 2021 and 82 in 2022. With 2020 being an election year, news/politics programming took 15 spots. That share has steadily decreased since then, but it’s likely to go back up with the 2024 election looming.

As noted by Sportico, the Olympics will also be held in Paris in summer 2024. That, coupled with the election news cycle, will make it difficult for the NFL to reclaim more than 90% of the spots.

Regardless, the latest numbers drive home just how much cable TV relies on the NFL. That could lead to a massive TV deal for the league in the near future.

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