Ratings Roundup: Prime Video, NBC Sports and More See Highest Viewership Numbers In History

January 3, 2025

Story Highlights

Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, more than 30 million tuned into the Netflix Christmas Day game; ESPN sees record viewership for NCAA Women’s volleyball season; and more.

**Prime Video Registers TNF’s Most-Watched Season in the 19-Year History of the Package Across Key Demographics**

Prime Video’s third exclusive season of Thursday Night Football (TNF) set new all-time highs and once again registered double-digit, year-over-year audience growth. Prime Video continues to build TNF into one of the most valuable franchises in media, with best-in-class production quality, AI-powered innovations, interactive advertising offerings, and rising viewership among current and future generations of fans.

Prime Video’s second consecutive season of across-the-board viewership gains were highlighted by best-ever audience figures in the 19-year history of TNF within key adult demographics under the age of 55. TNF on Prime’s 2024 viewership among the P18-34, P18-49, and P25-54 demographics each registered all-time highs, surpassing the full-season averages of all broadcast and cable carriers to present TNF since the package was first introduced in 2006. As the NFL’s regular season draws to a close this weekend, the median age of Prime Video’s TNF audience is nearly seven years younger than those watching the NFL on linear networks, and more than 14 years younger than audiences watching prime-time broadcast television during the Fall 2024 season.

According to Nielsen’s Panel Only measurement, TNF on Prime Video posted an +11% average viewership increase among total viewers over the previous season (13.20 million vs. 11.86 million), and a remarkable +38% leap over TNF on Prime’s 2022 inaugural season average (9.58 million). When including Black Friday Football into the NFL on Prime regular season average, the viewership increase over the 2023 season rises to +13% (13.22 million vs. 11.71 million). Per Nielsen, the 2024 season of TNF on Prime was watched by 91.10 million unique U.S. viewers, expanding its reach by nearly 20 million since Prime Video’s inaugural 2022 season (71.97 million).

Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel (BD+P) measurement scored TNF’s 2024 full-season average at 14.23 million viewers (P2+ AMA). During the December 5 Packers at Lions TNFgame, BD+P registered a franchise-high 18.48 million viewers, with a peak audience of 20.29 million. Within this enhanced methodology, Nielsen combines data points from approximately 45 million households and 75 million devices with their person-level panel of more than 100,000 people to produce a deeper and more complete view of all Nielsen-measured programs.

“We could not be more proud of our partnership with the NFL, our viewership growth and the innovations we’ve initiated for fans and brands over these first three seasons ofTNF on Prime,” says Jay Marine, Global Head of Sports and Ads, Prime Video. “Our production and tech teams are best-in-class, and with AWS and our outstanding team of data scientists, we’re pioneering the use of AI to advance the presentation of live sports in exciting ways, and we are just getting started.”

The 2024 TNF on Prime season delivered several other notable milestones. Per Nielsen (Panel Only), Prime Video featured considerable gains across all pregame and postgame shows, including TNF Tonight and TNF Nightcap, which grew +10% and +11%, respectively. In addition, Prime Video’s second presentation of Black Friday Football (BFF) attracted an average audience of 13.51 million viewers, marking a +41% leap over the 2023 inaugural BFF game.

Below, find additional 2024 viewership highlights from Prime Video’s third season as the exclusive home of TNF. In order to present apples-to-apples comparisons with previous TNF seasons, the following figures do not include the annual Black Friday Football game, which is covered in a separate section. There is also a separate section that covers Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel measurement highlights.

According to Nielsen, (Panel Only), TNF on Prime Video averaged 13.20 million viewers per game during the 2024 season, marking an increase of +11% over the previous season (11.86 million), and 38% over the inaugural 2022 season (9.58 million).
- TNF on Prime’s 2024 season registered all-time highs within each key demographic under the age of 55, topping all full-season averages generated by cable and broadcast partners since the inception of the package in 2006.
- 2024 featured six of the 10 most-watched TNF on Prime games ever.
- Ten TNF on Prime games in 2024 posted year-over-year viewership gains over the comparable 2023 game.
- TNF’s average audience crossed the 12 million mark 11 times during the 2024 season, while the 2023 TNF on Prime season posted six such games, and 2022 featured one.
Throughout the 2024 season, fans watching TNF on Prime carried a median age of 49.0 years, which is nearly seven years younger than the average median age of viewers watching the NFL on linear TV (55.7), and more than 14 years younger than audiences watching prime time broadcast television during the Fall 2024 season (63.3).
Per Nielsen and based on a one-minute qualifier, the 2024 TNF on Prime Season was watched by 91.10 million unique U.S. viewers, which is +27% ahead of the inaugural 2022 season (71.97 million).

Additional highlights include:

Most-Watched Among P18-34 in TNF History; Third Consecutive Year of Strong Viewership Growth

Among viewers in the coveted P18-34 demographic, TNF on Prime registered the most-watched season ever in 2024, posting an average of 2.61 million viewers.
- The 2024 TNF on Prime average among P18-34 marks an increase of +9% over the 2023 season (2.40 million), and +24% over the 2022 TNF on Prime season (2.11 million).
  - The 2024 TNF on Prime season average among P18-34 posted an +37% increase over the 2021 average (2.61 million vs. 1.90 million).
- Per Nielsen, TNF was the most-watched prime time NFL game of the week eight times during the 2024 season among P18-34.
- Throughout the 2024 season, 20% of TNF on Prime’s viewers were in the P18-34 demographic, compared to 14% of viewers watching the NFL on linear networks.
- Throughout the Fall 2024 season, only 7% of viewers watching prime time broadcast television are in the P18-34 demographic.
- The previous all-time high was set in 2015 (2.58 million), when TNF was presented on broadcast and cable.

Most-watched Among P18-49 and P25-54 in TNF History

TNF on Prime’s 2024 average viewership among P18-49 was the highest in the history of TNF. The full-season average of 5.99 million viewers marked an increase of +9% over 2023 (5.49 million), and +27% over 2022 (4.70 million).
- Throughout the 2024 season, 45% of TNF on Prime’s viewers were in the P18-49 demographic, compared to 34% of viewers watching the NFL on linear networks.
- Throughout the Fall season, only 20% of viewers watching prime time broadcast television were in the P18-49 demographic.
- The previous all-time high was set in 2015 (5.79 million), when TNF was presented on broadcast and cable.
TNF on Prime’s 2024 average viewership among P25-54 was the highest in the history of TNF. The full-season average of 6.55 million viewers topped the previous all-time high set in 2015 (6.23 million), when TNF was presented on broadcast and cable.

Female Viewership of TNF Posts Second Consecutive Year of Double-Digit Gains

TNF on Prime’s average viewership among F2+ was 4.23 million viewers in 2024.
- The 2024 TNF on Prime average among F2+ marks an increase of +10% over the 2023 TNF on Prime season (3.86 million) and +42% over 2022 (2.98 million).

All TNF Pregame and Postgame Shows Register Strong Viewership Growth

Despite no lead-in programming, TNF Tonight attracted an average audience of (1.53 million) in 2024, marking a +10% uptick over its 2023 average (1.39 million), and +37% over 2022 (1.12 million).
TNF Kickoff, which streams from 8—8:15PM ET each week, attracted an average audience (P2+) of 5.59 million viewers throughout the 2024 season, marking a +6% increase over its 2023 average (5.27 million) and +39% over 2022 (4.03 million).
TNF Postgame, which streams for 10 minutes immediately following the game’s conclusion each week, attracted an average audience (P2+) of 4.42 million viewers throughout the 2024 season, marking a +12% increase over its 2023 average (3.96 million), and +33% over 2022 (3.32 million).
TNF Nightcap, a 30-minute show that immediately follows TNF Postgame, attracted an average audience (P2+) of 2.04 million viewers throughout the 2024 season and consistently outperformed all competing programming across broadcast and cable.
TNF Nightcap’s 2024 average marks a +11% increase over its 2023 average (1.85 million) and +21% over 2022 (1.68 million).

TNF Viewers Command Higher Household Incomes

According to Nielsen’s most recent data, TNF on Prime viewers earned a median household income of $101,800 throughout the 2024 season, which is +16% higher than audiences watching the NFL on linear networks ($87,800).

Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel Measurement

Prior to the start of the 2024 season, Nielsen introduced its Big Data + Panel (BD+P) measurement, featuring an enhanced methodology that combines data points from approximately 45 million households and 75 million devices with their person-level panel of more than 100,000 people to produce a deeper and more complete view of all Nielsen-measured programs.

According to Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel measurement, Prime Video averaged 14.23 million viewers (P2+ AMA) during the 2024 TNF on Prime season.
Across key demographics, TNF’s BD+P season averages are below.
- P18-34: 2.84 million
- P18-49: 6.49 million
- P25-54: 7.07 million
- P55+: 5.51 million

Big Data + Panel Weekly Viewership – 2024 TNF on Prime Season (P2+ AMA)

9/12/24 – BUF@MIA: 15.79 million (18.82 million Peak)
9/19/24 – NE@NYJ: 14.80 million (17.11 million Peak)
9/26/24 – DAL@NYG: 17.61 million (19.65 million Peak)
10/3/24 – TB@ATL: 13.22 million (14.86 million Peak)
10/10/24 – SF@SEA: 13.91 million (15.61 million Peak)
10/17/24 – DEN@NO: 10.64 million (12.65 million Peak)
10/24/24 – MIN@LAR: 13.76 million (15.07 million Peak)
10/31/24 – HOU@NYJ: 12.82 million (14.57 million Peak)
11/7/24 – CIN@BAL: 14.58 million (16.28 million Peak)
11/14/24 – WAS@PHL: 15.51 million (17.48 million Peak)
11/21/24 – PIT@CLE: 14.79 million (16.34 million Peak)
12/5/24 – GB@DET: 18.48 million (20.29 million Peak)
12/12/24 – LAR@SF: 13.36 million (14.39 million Peak)
12/19/24 – DEN@LAC: 11.94 million (12.94 million Peak)
12/26/24 – SEA@CHI: 11.69 million (12.95 million Peak)

According to Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel measurement, TNF’s 2024 peak viewership average was 15.93 million.

Prime Video’s Second Black Friday Football Game Scores Significant Increases

Per Nielsen’s Panel Only measurement, Prime Video’s second presentation of Black Friday Football on November 29^th delivered 13.51 million viewers, an average audience increase of +41% over last season’s inaugural event. As Black Friday Football on Prime continues its build into one of America’s great sports traditions, significant year-over-year gains were also achieved across all key demographics.

Black Friday Football’s viewership peaked at 18.68 million viewers, registering a +60% increase over the previous year’s BFF peak (11.64 million).
Among viewers in the coveted P18-34 demographic, the game averaged 2.53 million viewers, an increase of +43% over last year’s BFF game (1.77 million).

Among viewers in the P18-49 demographic, the game averaged 5.72 million viewers, an increase of +34% over last year’s BFF game (4.28 million).
Nightcap, BFF on Prime’s postgame show, scored an average viewership of 3.85 million viewers, marking an increase of +50% over last year’s inaugural BFFedition (2.57 million).
Within Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel measurement, BFF attracted an average audience of 13.91 million viewers, and a peak audience of 17.98 million.

ESPN’s Lions at 49ers Week 17 Matchup Delivers One of Monday Night Football’s Top Audiences Since 2006

ESPN’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Lions and 49ers in Week 17 (8 p.m. ET, December 30) generated an audience of 22.2 million viewers (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes and NFL+). The audience is Monday Night Football’s best for the 2024 season and ranks among the five most-watched games for the franchise since ESPN acquired the rights in 2006.

NFL Christmas Day Games on Netflix Average Over 30 Million Global Viewers

Viewers from 218 countries and territories around the world tuned into Netflix on Dec. 25 as the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers drew 30.0 million Global AMA and the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans attracted 31.3 million Global AMA.

Both games dominated Netflix on Dec. 25, making it Netflix’s most-watched Christmas Day ever in the U.S. The two games averaged 26.5 million U.S. viewers according to the Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

The games ranked No. 1 (Ravens-Texans) and No. 2 (Chiefs-Steelers) on Netflix’s Global Top 10 for the week, and hit the Top 10 across multiple countries. Chiefs-Steelers was in the daily Top 10 in 72 countries and saw high viewership in Canada, Germany, Ireland and the UK, while Ravens-Texans was in the daily Top 10 in 62 countries and hit strides in Australia, Austria and Mexico, among others.

As previously announced, Christmas was a record-breaking day for Netflix and the NFL with an unduplicated audience of nearly 65 million U.S. viewers, according to Nielsen.

Netflix’s Christmas Day games dominated social conversation with players, performers and hashtags from the event trending all day on X in the U.S., Australia, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain and the UK. In total, the Christmas Day NFL games amassed over 1 billion impressions across Netflix and NFL global social handles.

AMA viewership figures are based on National Live + Same Day from Nielsen in the U.S., which includes out-of-home viewing, CBS local market viewing, NFL+, and mobile and web viewing across Netflix. International data is based on first party Netflix Live + 1 data for TV, mobile and web, along with NFL reported viewing for the NFL’s international distributors and NFL Game Pass on DAZN outside of the U.S.

CBS Sports produced the games, with NFL Media producing the pre, post and studio halftime programming. EverWonder Studio executive produced NFL Christmas Gameday.

This year marked the first of a three-season partnership with Netflix to broadcast NFL games on Christmas Day.

26.4 Million Viewers Watched Packers-Vikings on FOX

Most-watched even of the week on any network
+1% over last year’s comparable window

NBC Sports Delivers Its Most-Watched Year Since 2016

It was a banner year for NBC Sports in 2024, from the industry-record three NFL playoff games on one weekend in January — highlighted by Peacock’s record-setting presentation of the first-ever exclusive live streamed playoff game — to the most-watched Kentucky Derby in 35 years, the exciting conclusion of the most-watched Premier League season ever, golf’s U.S. Open and Open Championships, a spirited U.S. Olympic Trials leading up to the widely acclaimed multi-platform coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and into the fall with NASCAR, Big Ten and Notre Dame Football, and the continued dominance of primetime’s No 1 show Sunday Night Football.

Collectively, the most prestigious events and properties in sports propelled NBC Sports to its most-watched year since 2016, with more than 400 billion minutes (or more than 7 billion hours) consumed across NBCUniversal platforms.

NBC Sports delivered 32 shows in 2024 which topped 20 million viewers (TAD) across multiple platforms (viewership for last night’s Sunday Night Football game will be available tomorrow).

And there’s more to come! In 2024, NBC Sports announced a return of the NBA and WNBA in an 11-year agreement (which begins in October 2025); a new six-year deal for BIG EAST men’s and women’s basketball; a multi-year rights extension with IMSA; and an extension with Churchill Downs making NBC and Peacock the home of the Kentucky Derby through 2032.

Following is a look at NBC Sports’ banner 2024:

SPECTACULAR PARIS OLYMPICS DOMINATED MEDIA LANDSCAPE

NBCUniversal’s innovative presentation of the 2024 Paris Olympics was the world’s biggest media event – highlighted by 7,000 hours of coverage, 329 events in and around the City of Light (and Tahiti!), and numerous breakout stars for Team USA, which won more medals (126) than any country and tied for the gold-medal lead (40).

NBCU registered a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 30.4 million viewers across the combined live Paris Prime (2-5 p.m. ET) and U.S. primetime (8-11 p.m. ET/PT) time periods – up 80% from the Tokyo Olympics (16.9 million), according to official data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.
The NBC Broadcast Network extended its streak to 152 consecutive Summer Olympics nights as primetime’s No. 1 show.
Led by Peacock, 23.5 billion minutes of Paris Olympics coverage were streamed – up 40% from all prior Summer and Winter Olympics combined (16.8 billion minutes across NBCUniversal digital platforms).
USA Network ranked as the #1 cable sports/entertainment network in Total Day and primetime viewership over the two weeks of competition.

MAJOR VIEWERSHIP MILESTONES

Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card Became Most-Streamed Live Event in U.S. History at the Time — With 32.1 million total viewers, according to Nielsen, the Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card Game became the most-streamed live event in U.S. history at the time, and drove the Internet to its largest U.S. usage ever on a single day and the largest Internet event ever, consuming 30 percent of Internet traffic during the game.
Most-Watched “Run for the Roses” in 35 Years — NBC Sports’ presentation of the thrilling 150^th Kentucky Derby averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 16.7 million viewers across NBC and Peacock – marking the largest Kentucky Derby audience since 1989.
Sunday Night Football Extends Record as Primetime’s No. 1 Show – SNF finished the 2023-2024 TV season as primetime’s #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 13th consecutive year – adding to its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen.
Premier League Sets All-Time U.S. Viewership Record — NBC Sports’ coverage of the Premier League in 2023-24 delivered the largest average Premier League audience in U.S. media history across NBC, Peacock and USA Network.
2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs — Viewership for NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs delivered year-over-year increases for seven out of 10 races and averaged 2.35 million viewers, up 6% vs. 2023 (2.23 million).

LANDMARK MEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENTS

NBCUniversal and the NBA announced an 11-year agreement for NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Sky Sports and Telemundo to present NBA and WNBA regular-season and playoff basketball games beginning with the 2025-26 season.
NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) announced a multi-year extension of their partnership, making NBC the longest running home of the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby will be presented on NBC and Peacock through 2032.
NBC Sports and The BIG EAST Conference announced a new six-year media rights agreement for men’s and women’s basketball, spanning from 2025-26 through 2030-31. Peacock launched its coverage of BIG EAST men’s basketball in 2024-25.
In June, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and NBC Sports agreed to a multi-year extension of their media rights agreement, keeping NBC Sports as the home of the flagship IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and other IMSA-sanctioned series.

PRODUCTION INNOVATIONS CONTINUE ACROSS NBC SPORTS AND PEACOCK

Gold Zone: The Gold Zone whip-around show debuted on Peacock for the 2024 Paris Olympics, drawing rave reviews. As one of the most popular offerings of Peacock’s comprehensive Paris Olympics coverage,Gold Zone consistently ranked among Peacock’s top five most-watched Olympics titles and nearly quadrupled its viewership over the course of the Games, with one in five Olympics viewers tuning in.
Multiview: One of Peacock’s innovative and popular features that enhance the live viewing experience, Multiview was available throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics and made its Premier League debut in December.
“Your Daily Olympics Recap on Peacock”: In collaboration with Emmy Award-winning, Hall of Fame announcer Al Michaels and powered by generative A.I. and A.I. voice synthesis technology, Peacock presented “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock,” a first-of-its-kind, personalized experience providing fans with their own customized playlist of Olympic highlights.
Watch with Alex Cooper – Alex Cooper, the multi-hyphenate creator, host, and executive producer of Call Her Daddy, the most listened-to podcast by women globally, hosted Watch with Alex Cooper, a series of live interactive watch parties streaming on Peacock.
Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson – Comedians Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson brought their hilarious insights to the 2024 Olympics, recapping the best moments throughout the Games.
Fridays With Smylie – NBC Sports’ golf coverage showcased the personalities of the PGA TOUR’s top players with its new Friday Happy Hour segments hosted by on-course reporter Smylie Kaufman, creating viral moments and bringing a new approach to Friday afternoon telecasts heading into the weekend.
Johnson Wagner – GOLF Channel analyst Johnson Wagner became appointment viewing during the biggest weeks in golf. Wagner’s reenactments of crucial shots in major events was highlighted by his improbable reenactment of U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau’s bunker shot on the 72nd hole – with a surprise appearance and coaching by DeChambeau himself.
EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast: NBC Sports and Peacock presented EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast on Dec. 21, afirst-of-its-kind live football experience blending video game elements and live action, for the Houston Texans-Kansas City Chiefs game.
Caitlin Clark alt feed: Peacock presented a special Caitlin Clark alternate feed on Feb. 15, featuring a dedicated camera capturing Clark’s every move as she broke the NCAA women’s all-time scoring record.

A YEAR OF RECORD SETTING MOMENTS

January 14-15, 2024 – NBCUniversal became first media company to present three NFL Playoff games on a single weekend (Super Wild Card Weekend).
January 21, 2024 – The Iowa-Ohio State overtime thriller on NBC and Peacock was the most-watched regular season women’s college basketball game, at the time, since 2010, averaging 1.93 million viewers.
April 4, 2024 – NBC Sports announced record-setting U.S. Olympic Team Trials coverage, with NBCU presenting over 200 hours, including more than 35 hours in primetime on NBC. Combined viewership for swimming, diving, track & field, and gymnastics across NBC, Peacock and USA Network was up 58% from 2021, marking the most-watched Trials telecast in eight years.
June 18, 2024 –NBC Sports’ presentation of the 124th U.S. Open from Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2) was the most-watched east coast U.S. Open since 2013.
July 26, 2024 – NBCUniversal’s presentation of the unprecedented Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony led by NBC and Peacock registered the most-watched Opening Ceremony for a Summer Olympics since London 2012 with a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 28.6 million viewers, according to official data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.
August 16 – 18, 2024 – NBC Sports’ presentation of the Premier League’s first matchweek of the 2024-25 season was the most-watched opening weekend on record in the United States, averaging 820,000 viewers across six matches live on NBC/Peacock, USA Network, and NBC Sports Digital platforms from Friday, Aug. 16-Sunday, Aug. 18.
September 5-8, 2024 – NBC Sports opened the 2024 NFL season with three blockbuster games in four nights – the first time a media company has presented three primetime games on NFL Kickoff Weekend.
September 5, 2024 – In a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game, the Kansas City Chiefs’ thrilling victory over the Baltimore Ravens was the most-watched NFL Kickoff game ever, averaging a record Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 29.2 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.
September 13, 2024 – NBCUniversal’s unprecedented coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, presented by Toyota, generated numerous U.S. viewership milestones, reaching a Paralympic record 15.4 million total viewers across NBC, Peacock, USA Network, CNBC, and Telemundo during the 12-day event from Aug. 28-Sept. 8., including the second most-watched Paralympic Games telecast on record and the most-watched Paralympics cable telecast on record.
October 12, 2024 – Oregon’s thrilling 32-31 victory over Ohio State on Big Ten Saturday Night drew the largest primetime audience for a regular season Big Ten conference football game since 2008, with an average of 10.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and NBC Sports Digital.
November 28, 2024 – NBC Sports’ presentation of the Green Bay Packers’ 30-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins marked the record third consecutive NBC NFL Thanksgiving night game to top 26 million viewers.

Aced It! ESPN Scores Stellar Viewership During 2024 NCAA Women’s College Volleyball Season

The 2024 Women’s College Volleyball season on ESPN platforms was one for the books, as both the NCAA Tournament and the regular season finished up from a season ago.

The 2024 Women’s NCAA Volleyball Tournament was the most-consumed ever, with more than 1.3 billion minutes watched across ESPN platforms. The entirety of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament finished up 41% YoY and featured the most-watched Semifinals and Regionals on record.

The National Championship match between Louisville and Penn State saw 1.3 million viewers tune in, making it the second most-watched title bout on record and third most-watched college volleyball match ever. The champ game peaked with 1.9 million viewers as the Nittany Lions defeated the Cardinals in four sets.

The Championship tournament saw massive growth within adults 18-34, who increased their viewing 99% YoY. During this year’s championship run, women made up 44% of the audience, increasing their share from 2023.

The NCAA Women’s Volleyball Selection Show also saw its best performance on record, registering 268,000 viewers, up 59% from 2023.

National Semifinals
The NCAA Women’s Volleyball National Semifinals were the most-watched ever, averaging 1.1 million viewers across both matches. That mark shows 4% growth YoY and was 50% higher than any year prior to 2023.

The largest gains seen across the semifinals included adults 18-34 (+51% YoY) and women (+14% YoY), continuing the strong momentum seen from these groups during the Regional Rounds.

The second semifinal between Penn State and Nebraska led the way with 1.2 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched National Semifinal on record. It also earns the title of the fourth most-viewed women’s college volleyball match ever and peaked with 1.4 million viewers.

The Louisville-Pittsburgh semifinal averaged 1.0 million viewers and peaked with 1.4 million, ranking as the fourth most-watched semifinal on record.

Regional Round
The NCAA Women’s Volleyball Regional round averaged a tremendous 401,000 viewers, up 98% YoY for its highest average on record. The round also featured the five most-watched Regional matches ever, including an audience of 798,000 viewers for Regional Final of Wisconsin vs. Nebraska on ABC.

The Regionals saw huge growth in adults 18-34 (+232%), viewers 2-17 (+115%) and women (+112%).

The other top matches included:

Creighton vs. Penn State on ESPN (Regional Final | 674,000 viewers)
Dayton vs. Nebraska on ESPN2 (Regionals Semifinal | 617,000 viewers)
Texas A&M vs. Wisconsin on ESPN2 (Regional Semifinal | 524,000 viewers)
Stanford vs. Louisville on ESPN2 (Regional Final | 514,000 viewers)
The Regional Finals saw its best performance on record, averaging 594,000 viewers (+90%) across the two days. The Regional Semifinals boasted a 101% growth from 2023, averaging 311,000 viewers on ESPN2 – also registering the best average for this round on record.

ESPN+ viewership was up 19% YoY across the Regional Round to cap off the four days of competition.

First & Second Round
ESPN+ engagement saw an increase of 6% from 2023 during the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Regular Season
ESPN scored the most-watched Women’s College Volleyball regular season ever (min. 5 live games), with 140,000 viewers. This was also the most-consumed women’s college volleyball season ever on ESPN Nets, totaling 635M minutes watched across the 38 matches on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.

The regular season finished up 21% YoY, including gains from P2-17 (+90%), P18-24 (+70%) and women (+28%).

This season also included the most-watched regular season match on record for ESPN platforms, with Nebraska-Louisville garnering 684,000 viewers on ABC on Sept. 22.

NBA on ESPN Platforms Up Five Percent From Last Year

This season, NBA viewership on ESPN platforms is up five percent from the same time last year, according to Nielsen. Through 34 games, NBA games on ESPN platforms are averaging 1,959,000 viewers.

Audience gains were driven by the five games on Christmas, which was ESPN’s most-watched NBA Christmas in five years, since 2019. An average of 5,335,000 viewers watched five games, spanning 13 consecutive hours. It was also virtually even with viewership from 2019 (5,337,000).

The audience for all five NBA Christmas games were up from their comparable games last Christmas. The Los Angeles Lakers victory over the Golden State Warriors in primetime averaged 7,909,000 viewers, up 511 percent from last year’s Philadelphia vs. Miami game. The Lakers vs. Warriors broadcast peaked with 8,447,000 viewers at 10:30 p.m. ET.

13-Year High

Christmas action began at noon with the San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks game, which averaged nearly five million viewers (4,997,000). ESPN’s coverage included its Dunk the Halls animated alt-cast, which contributed to the Spurs vs. Knicks contest becoming the most-watched noon Christmas game in 13 years, since 2011. It was up 101 percent from the Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks game last year.

Late-Night Record

The late-night game between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets set a Christmas record. The broadcast, which began at 10:30 p.m., was the most-watched late-night game ever on Christmas. It averaged 3,898,000 viewers, up 165 percent from the Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks game last season.

The Philadelphia 76ers victory over the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics averaged 5,242,000 viewers, up five percent from last year’s comparable game between the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in 2023. Additionally, the Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves matchup averaged 4,451,000 viewers, up eight percent from last year’s Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets game.

For the first time, all five games were available on ESPN, ABC, Disney+ and ESPN+. The San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks Dunk the Halls animated alt-cast also aired on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+.

NBA Countdown Audience Up Double Digits

NBA Countdown, ESPN and ABC’s NBA pregame show, is averaging 867,000 viewers through 17 episodes during the 2024-25 regular season. That is up 22 percent from this point last season. The 7:30 p.m. edition of NBA Countdown on ABC and ESPN this Christmas averaged 5,380,000 viewers, up 424 percent from last year’s Christmas show.

Netflix NFL Christmas Gameday Reaches 65 Million U.S. Viewers

Christmas was a record-breaking day for Netflix and the NFL, with an unduplicated audience of nearly 65 million U.S. viewers according to Nielsen.

The Baltimore Ravens versus Houston Texans (24.3 million average minute audience) and Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers (24.1 million average minute audience) are the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history, according to Nielsen. U.S. viewership for Ravens-Texans peaked with Beyoncé Bowl, with over 27 million viewers according to Nielsen.

AMA viewership figures are based on Fast National Live + Same Day data from Nielsen which include out-of-home viewing and CBS local market viewing, along with mobile and web data from Netflix and NFL+ mobile viewing from the NFL.

Global ratings and additional U.S. insights will be released on Dec. 31, providing a comprehensive look at Netflix’s NFL Christmas Gameday performance worldwide.

The second game of the Netflix Christmas doubleheader, Ravens-Texans, was the most-watched Christmas Day game on record among A18-34 with 5.1 million U.S. viewers (based on Nielsen records dating back to 2001).

Netflix’s Christmas Day games dominated global social conversation. #BeyonceBowl rocketed to the No. 1 worldwide trend on X immediately as her performance kicked off – replacing #Christmas itself. Following her performance, Netflix occupied 10 of the top 12 trending topics on X in the U.S. #NFLonNetflix also trended around the world, reaching a peak of No. 2 in Australia, No. 3 in the U.K. and Germany, No. 5 in Brazil and France, and No. 6 in the U.S.

CBS Sports produced the games, with NFL Media producing the pre, post and studio halftime programming. EverWonder Studio executive produced NFL Christmas Gameday.

“Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered,” says Bela Bajaria, Netflix chief content officer. “We’re thankful for our partnership with the NFL, all of our wonderful on-air talent, and let’s please not forget the electrifying Beyoncé and the brilliant Mariah Carey.”

“We’re thrilled with our first Christmas Gameday on Netflix with NFL games being streamed to a global audience,” says Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution. “Fans in all 50 states and over 200 countries around the world watched some of the league’s brightest stars along with a dazzling performance by Beyoncé in a historic day for the NFL.”

This year marked the first of a three-season partnership with Netflix to broadcast NFL games on Christmas Day.

NBA Exclusively on ESPN Platforms: Most-Watched Christmas in Five Years and Up 84 Percent From Last Year

The NBA on Christmas, exclusively on ESPN platforms, averaged 5,254,000 viewers on December 25, making it the most-watched NBA Christmas in five years – since 2019 – according to Nielsen. Viewership for the full five-game slate was up 84 percent from 2023. NBA viewership across ESPN platforms is up four percent from last season. This season’s full Christmas schedule was available on ABC, ESPN, Disney+ and ESPN+. The San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks Dunk the Halls animated alt-cast also aired on ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+.

An average of 7,763,000 viewers watched the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James battle with the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry in primetime. It was the most-watched NBA regular season game in five years, since 2019, and it was up an astonishing 499 percent from the comparable game last year (Philadelphia vs. Miami). The Lakers vs. Warriors game peaked with 8,324,000 viewers at 10:30 p.m. ET.

In addition, the Phoenix Suns victory over the Denver Nuggets averaged 3,840,000 viewers, making it the largest audience for a late Christmas window ever (10:30 p.m. ET start). It was up 161 percent from last year’s Suns vs. Dallas Mavericks game.

The noon game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks generated an average audience of 4,913,000 viewers, making it the most-watched opening game on Christmas in 13 years, since 2011. The Spurs vs. Knicks game included the animated Dunk the Halls alternate presentation on ESPN2, Disney+and ESPN+. Overall, viewership was up 98 percent from last year’s noon game between the Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks.

At 5 p.m., the game between the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers averaged 5,161,000 viewers, up three percent from the Celtics vs. Lakers game last year. The final audience for this game, and thus the full day, will increase when viewership information from the Boston market is available.

In the 2:30 p.m. window, an average of 4,382,000 viewers watched the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks game. That is up six percent from last year’s Warriors vs. Nuggets game.

NBA Delivers Most-Watched Christmas Day In Five Years With Viewership Up 84% vs. Last Year

The NBA delivered its most-watched Christmas Day in five years, averaging 5.25 million viewers per game in the U.S. across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals. Viewership was up 84% vs. last year.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors – which featured a thrilling duel between LeBron James and Stephen Curry – led the way averaging 7.76 million viewers and peaking with 8.32 million viewers at 10:30 p.m. ET. It was the most-watched NBA regular season and Christmas Day game in five years and up 499% vs. the comparable window last year.

To begin the day, the New York Knicks’ 117-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs averaged 4.91 million viewers, making it the most-watched Christmas Day opener in 13 years and up 98% vs. the comparable window last year. All five Christmas Day games saw year-over-year viewership increases, including Philadelphia 76ers/Boston Celtics (5.16 million viewers, up 3%), Minnesota Timberwolves/Dallas Mavericks (4.38 million viewers, up 6%) and Denver Nuggets/Phoenix Suns (3.84 million viewers, up 161%). Nuggets/Suns was the most-watched late window ever on Christmas Day.

The NBA generated more than 500 million video views across its social media platforms on Christmas Day – an all-time record. The five-game slate also generated the most-viewed Christmas Day ever on NBA League Pass. NBA Christmas Day games were distributed in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages.

NBA viewership across ESPN platforms this season is up 4% vs. last year. NBA games this season have driven ESPN and TNT to be the most-viewed cable networks among people under 50 on 21 of 24 nights. Leading into Christmas Day, NBA viewership across ABC, ESPN and TNT increased every week of December, with an average week-over-week increase of 7%. Viewership for Emirates NBA Cup games on ESPN and TNT were up 6% vs. non-NBA Cup games during the same timeframe.

Season to date, the NBA has generated a record 11 billion views across its social and digital channels. The NBA has the largest social media following among all professional sports leagues and has one of the largest social media communities of any brand.

ESPN Serves Up Second Most-Watched NCAA Championship All-Time; Tournament Finishes Up 41%

Louisville-Penn State served as the second most-watched NCAA Volleyball Championship ever and third-most watched college volleyball match on record (1.3 million viewers)
Peaked with 1.9 million viewers
The 2024 Women’s NCAA Volleyball Tournament finished up 41% YoY
- Most-consumed ever with more than 1.3 billion minutes watched across ESPN platforms
Across the tournament, gains were most present among P18-34 (+99%)
- Women made up 44% of the viewing audience during the NCAA Volleyball Tournament

19.7 Million Viewers Delivered for FOX NFL’s Week 16 Singleheader

The best performance for an NFL single header on any network this season
Up +64% over last years comparable window

College Football Playoff Scores 10.6 Million Average Viewers Across ESPN Platforms and TNT Sports

Four-Game First Round Delivers More Average Viewers than 2023-24 Non-Semifinal New Year’s Six Bowls and 2024 A4 Conference Championship Games
Tennessee/Ohio State and Indiana/Notre Dame on ESPN/ABC Become 2 of Top 3 Most-Watched Games of the Season
Clemson/Texas and SMU/Penn State Register Record Superlatives for TNT Sports

Chargers’ TNF Comeback Victory Scores 11.03M, Up +8% YoY

According to Nielsen, TNF on Prime Video averaged 11.03 million viewers on Thursday night, registering an increase of +8% over last year’s comparable TNF game (10.20M for Saints-Rams, 12/21/23).
- Broncos-Chargers on Prime Video peaked at 12.14M viewers (9:15 – 9:30PM ET).

Through 14 games, TNF is averaging 13.34 million viewers, an increase of +11% over TNF on Prime’s 2023 14-game average (11.97M), and +39% above the 2022 TNF season average (9.58M).
As it has every week this season, TNF won the night among total viewers across all broadcast and cable programming (+125% over the No. 2 program).
Among viewers in the coveted P18-34 demographic, TNF on Prime averaged 1.91M, and stands as the most-watched program of the week beginning Monday, December 16.
- Through 14 games, TNF is averaging 2.65M within the P18-34 demographic, an increase of +10% over last year’s full-season average (2.41M).
Among viewers in the P18-49 demographic, TNF on Prime averaged 4.60M, and stands as the most-watched program of the week beginning Monday, December 16.
- Through 14 games, TNF is averaging 6.08M within the P18-49 demographic, an increase of +11% over last year’s full-season average (5.49M).
Season-to-date, TNF on Prime’s median age is 48.9, which is almost seven years younger than audiences watching the NFL on linear networks (55.5).
TNF Tonight, TNF on Prime’s pregame show that kicks off each week at 7:00PM ET, is averaging 1.56M viewers, which is an increase of +12% over last year’s full-season average (1.39M).

Through the most recent available postgame show data, TNF on Prime’s postgame show, TNF Nightcap, is averaging 2.05M viewers, which is an increase of +11% over last year’s full-season average (1.81M).

ESPN Scores Most-Watched NCAA Volleyball National Semifinals on Record

National Semifinals averaged 1.1 million viewers, up 4% YoY
Penn State-Nebraska became most-viewed NCAA Volleyball National Semifinal on record
Demographic lifts in women (+14% YoY) and P18-34 (+51%)
The NCAA Volleyball Championship is up 60% YoY through this point in the tournament

Army-Navy Averaged Over 9 Million Viewers

December 14th’s Army-Navy Game presented by USAA averaged 9.4 million viewers on CBS, marking the largest audience for the rivalry since at least 1990. America’s Game previous high was 8.45 million in 1992.

2024 Cricket Celebration Bowl on ABC up 37%

2.1 million viewers tuned in
- Peaked at 2.6 million viewers

Monday Night Football Week 15: ESPN Platforms Average 17.8 Million Viewers for Nearly Three Hours of Overlapping Action

In Week 15, ESPN’s Monday Night Football presented two games, with staggered kick times (8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET), resulting in nearly three hours of overlapping action on Monday, Dec. 16 (8:30 – 11:15 p.m.). The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings aired on ABC and ESPN+, beginning first, followed by the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

ESPN Serves Up Most-Watched NCAA Volleyball Regional Round on Record

Regionals avg. 401k viewers, up 98% YoY
- Regional Semifinals avg. 311k viewers, up 101% YoY – the best average for the Regional Semifinal round on record
- Regional Finals avg. 594k viewers, up 90% YoY – the best average for the Regional Final round on record
Included the five most-watched Regional matches ever
Huge growth in the following demos: P18-34 (+232%), P2-17 (+115%) & women (+112%)
ESPN+ unique viewers up 44% YoY

TNF’s Rams-49ers on Prime Scores +54% YoY Increase

According to Nielsen, TNF on Prime averaged 12.29 million viewers on Thursday night, posting a +54% increase over last year’s Week 15 presentation of Chargers-Raiders (7.98M, 12/14/23).
Rams-49ers on Prime Video peaked at 13.33M viewers (9:15 – 9:30PM ET).
As it has for 35 consecutive weeks, TNF on Prime won the night among total viewers across all head-to-head broadcast and cable programming.
Among viewers in the hard-to-reach P18-34 demographic, TNF on Prime is averaging 2.71M, marking an increase of +13% over last year’s full-season average (2.40M), and +28% above TNF’s 2022 season average (2.11M).
Among viewers in the P18-49 demographic, TNF on Prime is averaging 6.19M, marking an increase of +13% over last year’s full-season average (5.49M), and +32% above TNF’s 2022 season average (4.70M).
Season to date, TNF on Prime’s median age is 48.8, which is almost seven years younger than audiences watching the NFL on linear networks (55.4), and more than 14 years younger than the broadcast primetime average (63).
TNF Tonight, TNF on Prime’s pregame show that kicks off each week at 7:00PM ET, is averaging 1.57M viewers, which is an increase of +13% over last year’s full-season average (1.39M).
Through the most recent available postgame show data, TNF on Prime’s postgame show, TNF Nightcap, is averaging 2.06M viewers, which is an increase of +12% over last year’s full-season average (1.81M).

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