NFL Ruled the Airwaves in 2024

Netflix recently announced that it marked its "most-watched Christmas Day ever," largely thanks to NFL matchups that day. That's not the only viewing victory claimed by the league of late: Sportico reports that, based on Nielsen ratings, the NFL claimed 72 of the 100 most-watched broadcasts of 2024, with last February's Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs in the No. 1 spot with 123.7 million viewers.

Compare that with eight years ago, when the league only nabbed 66 of those top 100 airings. In 2023, however, the NFL claimed a staggering 93 broadcasts in the top 100, and both Sportico and SportsPro note that the league likely took a hit this year due to election year coverage—political programming took up 16 of the top 100 broadcasts. The teams that drew the most viewers: the Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys, followed by the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills. Check out what other stragglers made the list here. (More NFL stories.)