Top Rated Shows of 2017: Here’s How the Super Bowl, Oscars, ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Walking Dead’ Faced Off
Reports of the National Football League’s TV demise have been greatly exaggerated. The NFL dominated 2017’s ranker of the most-watched TV, taking up 27 of the slots on this year’s list of the top 100 telecasts (both broadcast and cable) among adults 18-49. That includes, of course, Super Bowl LI, which led the pack among adults 18-49 and total viewers.
Fueled by a thrilling come-from-behind win by the New England Patriots over the Atlanta Falcons — and the first-ever Super Bowl determined in overtime — the 51st Super Bowl averaged nearly 112 million total viewers, down just a tick from last year’s 112.6 million.
Beyond the Super Bowl, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” claimed 16 slots on the list of top-rated telecasts in 2017. That put it second among TV shows, behind only the Peacock network’s breakout drama “This Is Us,” which landed 18 spots on the top 100.
The NFL has seen some viewership drops, which triggered plenty of hand wringing about the potential reasons – including some who would blame the drop on players protesting police brutality. But the real root cause may be a bit more obvious: The overall continued decline of linear television ratings, as viewers find more choice and more abilities to watch TV elsewhere.
Just like the NFL, “The Walking Dead” is seeing its viewership dip, yet it is still a monster hit, claiming 15 slots in the top 100 telecasts ranker. Another show late in its run, CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” also continues to impress, with 12 episodes making it on to the year-end list.
ABC’s annual presentation of the Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, was the top-rated and most-watched entertainment program of the year, averaging 34.1 million viewers and a 9.48 rating with adults 18-49. Other awards shows making the list: The Grammys and the Golden Globes.
All seven episodes of “Game of Thrones” Season 7 landed in the top 100 — an impressive feat, given that HBO is a premium network. “24: Legacy” (which premiered after the Super Bowl, of course), “Young Sheldon” and “Hunted” were the only new shows to reach the top 100 (as well as the reboot premiere of “Will & Grace”), while “Empire” lost steam and landed just one slot this yar.
Thanks to NFL Sunday Night Football and “This Is Us,” NBC claimed the most slots in the top 100, with 39, followed by CBS (24), AMC (15), HBO and ABC (7 each), Fox (6) and ESPN (2).
Here’s our ratings roundup of the year’s most-watched telecasts, according to different broadcast and cable measurements.
TOP-RATED PRIMETIME TELECASTS OF 2017, ADULTS 18-49
The top 100 broadcast and cable primetime telecasts in 2017, overall by 18-49 (“most recent” data, which includes Live+7 DVR and VOD data):
RANK | SHOW & NETWORK | ADULT 18-49 RATING | AIRDATE |
1 | Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons Fox | 37.30 | 2/5/2017 |
2 | AFC Championship: New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers CBS | 15.45 | 1/22/2017 |
3 | NFL Divisional Playoff: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs NBC | 12.01 | 1/15/2017 |
4 | The Oscars ABC | 9.48 | 2/26/2017 |
5 | NFL Divisional Playoff: New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans CBS | 9.41 | 1/14/2017 |
6 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants NBC | 9.14 | 9/10/2017 |
7 | NBA Finals Game 5: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 9.12 | 6/12/2017 |
8 | NFL Playoff: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions NBC | 8.38 | 1/7/2017 |
9 | Grammy Awards CBS | 8.35 | 2/12/2017 |
10 | World Series Game 7: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Fox | 8.19 | 11/1/2017 |
tie | The Walking Dead (709: “Rock In The Road”) AMC | 8.19 | 2/12/2017 |
12 | College Football Championship: Clemson vs. Alabama ESPN | 8.05 | 1/9/2017 |
13 | The Walking Dead (716: “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”) AMC | 8.02 | 4/2/2017 |
14 | The Walking Dead (710: “New Best Friends”) AMC | 7.87 | 2/19/2017 |
15 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots NBC | 7.71 | 9/7/2017 |
16 | The Walking Dead (711: “Hostiles and Calamities”) AMC | 7.66 | 2/26/2017 |
17 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions NBC | 7.43 | 1/1/2017 |
18 | NBA Finals Game 3: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 7.29 | 6/7/2017 |
19 | NBA Finals Game 2: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 7.18 | 6/4/2017 |
20 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers NBC | 7.17 | 9/17/2017 |
21 | The Walking Dead (801: “Mercy”) AMC | 7.16 | 10/22/2017 |
22 | NCAA Basketball Championship: North Carolina vs. Gonzaga CBS | 7.14 | 4/3/2017 |
23 | 24: Legacy (101: “12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m.”) Fox | 7.10 | 2/5/2017 |
24 | Game of Thrones (707: “The Dragon and the Wolf”) HBO | 7.08 | 8/27/2017 |
25 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys NBC | 7.05 | 11/19/2017 |
26 | The Walking Dead (712: “Say Yes”) AMC | 7.02 | 3/5/2017 |
tie | The Walking Dead (715: “Something They Need”) AMC | 7.02 | 3/26/2017 |
28 | NBA Finals Game 1: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 6.98 | 6/1/2017 |
29 | The Walking Dead (714: “The Other Side”) AMC | 6.97 | 3/19/2017 |
30 | NBA Finals Game 4: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 6.86 | 6/9/2017 |
31 | The Walking Dead (713: “Bury Me Here”) AMC | 6.85 | 3/12/2017 |
32 | Game of Thrones (705: “Eastwatch”) HBO | 6.59 | 8/13/2017 |
33 | NFL Sunday Night Football: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons NBC | 6.56 | 10/22/2017 |
34 | This Is Us (201: “A Father’s Advice”) NBC | 6.50 | 9/26/2017 |
35 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Seattle Seahawks vs. Philadelphia Eagles NBC | 6.46 | 12/3/2017 |
36 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Washington Redskins vs. Oakland Raiders NBC | 6.34 | 9/24/2017 |
37 | Game of Thrones (704: “The Spoils of War”) HBO | 6.31 | 8/6/2017 |
38 | Game of Thrones (706: “Beyond the Wall”) HBO | 6.30 | 8/20/2017 |
39 | The Walking Dead (804: “Some Guy”) AMC | 6.06 | 11/12/2017 |
40 | World Series Game 6: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Fox | 6.04 | 10/31/2017 |
41 | The Walking Dead (802: “The Damned”) AMC | 6.01 | 10/29/2017 |
42 | The Walking Dead (803: “Monsters”) AMC | 5.99 | 11/05/2017 |
43 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers NBC | 5.98 | 11/26/2017 |
44 | NFL Sunday Night Football: New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos NBC | 5.86 | 11/12/2017 |
45 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans NBC | 5.85 | 10/8/2017 |
46 | The Big Bang Theory (1101: “The Proposal Proposal”) CBS | 5.84 | 9/25/2017 |
47 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Seattle Seahawks vs. Indianapolis Colts NBC | 5.82 | 10/1/2017 |
48 | Golden Globe Awards NBC | 5.79 | 1/8/2017 |
49 | Game of Thrones (701: “Dragonstone”) HBO | 5.78 | 7/16/2017 |
50 | The Walking Dead (805: “The Big Scary U”) AMC | 5.74 | 11/19/2017 |
51 | The Walking Dead (806: “The King, The Widow, and Rick”) AMC | 5.71 | 11/26/2017 |
52 | Game of Thrones (703: “The Queen’s Justice”) HBO | 5.68 | 7/30/2017 |
53 | Game of Thrones (702: “Stormborn”) HBO | 5.65 | 7/23/2017 |
54 | NFL Sunday Night Football: New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos NBC | 5.60 | 10/15/2017 |
55 | NCAA March Madness Final Four: North Carolina vs. Oregon CBS | 5.52 | 4/1/2017 |
56 | This Is Us (111: “The Right Thing To Do”) NBC | 5.51 | 1/10/2017 |
57 | This Is Us (202: “A Manny-Splendored Thing”) NBC | 5.49 | 10/3/2017 |
58 | The Big Bang Theory (1012: “The Holiday Summation”) CBS | 5.47 | 1/5/2017 |
59 | Young Sheldon (101: Pilot) CBS | 5.46 | 9/25/2017 |
60 | This Is Us (118: “Moonshadow”) NBC | 5.33 | 3/14/2017 |
61 | This Is Us (117: “What Now?”) NBC | 5.32 | 3/7/2017 |
tie | World Series Game 5: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Fox | 5.32 | 10/29/2017 |
63 | The Big Bang Theory (1013: “The Romance Recalibration”) CBS | 5.30 | 1/19/2017 |
64 | The Walking Dead (807: “Time For After”) AMC | 5.22 | 12/3/2017 |
65 | This Is Us (113: “Three Sentences”) NBC | 5.21 | 1/24/2017 |
tie | This Is Us (204: “Still There”) NBC | 5.21 | 10/17/2017 |
67 | Oscars Red Carpet Preview Show ABC | 5.19 | 2/26/2017 |
68 | This Is Us (112: “The Big Day”) NBC | 5.11 | 1/17/2017 |
69 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants NBC | 5.10 | 11/23/2017 |
70 | NFL Monday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals ESPN | 5.09 | 9/25/2017 |
71 | NFL Thursday Night Football: New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers CBS/NFL Network | 5.07 | 10/5/2017 |
72 | This Is Us (205: “Brothers”) NBC | 5.02 | 10/24/2017 |
73 | This Is Us (116: “Memphis”) NBC | 5.01 | 2/21/2017 |
74 | Will & Grace (901: “11 Years Later”) NBC | 5.00 | 9/28/2017 |
75 | This Is Us (114: “I Call Marriage”) NBC | 4.99 | 2/7/2017 |
tie | This Is Us (203: “Deja Vu”) NBC | 4.99 | 10/10/2017 |
77 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Oakland Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins NBC | 4.98 | 11/5/2017 |
78 | The Big Bang Theory (1102: “The Retraction Reaction”) CBS | 4.86 | 10/2/2017 |
79 | This Is Us (207: “The Most Disappointed Man”) NBC | 4.85 | 11/7/2017 |
80 | This Is Us (208: “Number One”) NBC | 4.84 | 11/14/2017 |
81 | The Big Bang Theory (1015: “The Locomotion Reverberation”) CBS | 4.83 | 2/9/2017 |
82 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Detroit Lions NBC | 4.82 | 10/29/2017 |
tie | NFL Thursday Night Football: Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears CBS/NFL Network | 4.82 | 9/28/2017 |
84 | The Big Bang Theory (1014: “The Emotion Detection Automation”) CBS | 4.81 | 2/2/2017 |
85 | NFL Thursday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins NBC/NFL Network | 4.77 | 11/30/2017 |
tie | This Is Us (210: “Number Three”) NBC | 4.77 | 11/28/2017 |
87 | This Is Us (115: “Jack Pearson’s Son”) NBC | 4.75 | 2/14/2017 |
88 | The Big Bang Theory (1018: “The Escape Hatch Identification”) CBS | 4.66 | 3/9/2017 |
89 | The Big Bang Theory (1017: “The Comic-Con Conundrum”) CBS | 4.61 | 2/23/2017 |
tie | NFL Thursday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Carolina Panthers CBS/NFL Network | 4.61 | 10/12/2017 |
tie | NCAA March Madness Bridge CBS | 4.61 | 4/1/2017 |
92 | NFL Thursday Night Football: Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs CBS/NFL Network | 4.57 | 10/19/2017 |
93 | Hunted (101: “The Internet Never Forgets”) CBS | 4.56 | 1/22/2017 |
94 | This Is Us (209: “Number Two”) NBC | 4.52 | 11/21/2017 |
tie | The Big Bang Theory (1103: “The Relaxation Integration”) CBS | 4.52 | 10/9/2017 |
tie | The Big Bang Theory (1106: “The Proton Regeneration”) CBS | 4.52 | 11/2/2017 |
97 | The Big Bang Theory (1024: “The Long Distance Dissonance”) CBS | 4.50 | 5/11/2017 |
98 | Empire (310: “Sound & Fury”) Fox | 4.45 | 3/22/2017 |
99 | The Big Bang Theory (1104: “The Explosion Implosion”) CBS | 4.40 | 10/16/2017 |
100 | This Is Us (206: “The 20’s”) NBC | 4.39 | 10/31/2017 |
Source: Nielsen. All telecasts, most current ratings, excluding durations under 26 minutes (1/1/17-12/3/17)
MOST-WATCHED PRIMETIME TELECASTS OF 2017, TOTAL VIEWERS
The top 50 broadcast and cable telecasts in 2017, overall by total viewers (“most recent” data, which includes Live+7 DVR and VOD data):
RANK | SHOW & NETWORK | TOTAL VIEWERS | AIRDATE |
1 | Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons Fox | 111,998,000 | 2/5/2017 |
2 | AFC Championship: New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers CBS | 48,070,000 | 1/22/2017 |
3 | NFL Divisional Playoff: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs NBC | 37,291,000 | 1/15/2017 |
4 | The Oscars ABC | 34,115,000 | 2/26/2017 |
5 | NFL Divisional Playoff: New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans CBS | 29,997,000 | 1/14/2017 |
6 | World Series Game 7: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Fox | 28,367,000 | 11/1/2017 |
7 | Grammy Awards CBS | 27,594,000 | 2/12/2017 |
8 | NFL Playoff: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions NBC | 27,011,000 | 1/7/2017 |
9 | NBA Finals Game 5: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 24,788,000 | 6/12/2017 |
10 | College Football Championship: Clemson vs. Alabama ESPN | 24,667,000 | 1/9/2017 |
11 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants NBC | 24,532,000 | 9/10/2017 |
12 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions NBC | 23,972,000 | 1/1/2017 |
13 | NCAA Basketball Championship: North Carolina vs. Gonzaga CBS | 23,261,000 | 4/3/2017 |
14 | The Big Bang Theory (1101: “The Proposal Proposal”) CBS | 23,079,000 | 9/25/2017 |
15 | Young Sheldon (101: Pilot) CBS | 22,461,000 | 9/25/2017 |
16 | World Series Game 6: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Fox | 22,372,000 | 10/31/2017 |
17 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots NBC | 21,973,000 | 9/7/2017 |
18 | The Big Bang Theory (1012: “The Holiday Summation”) CBS | 21,959,000 | 1/5/2017 |
19 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys NBC | 21,198,000 | 11/19/2017 |
20 | Oscars Red Carpet Preview Show ABC | 21,069,000 | 2/26/2017 |
21 | 24: Legacy (101: “12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m.”) Fox | 20,945,000 | 2/5/2017 |
22 | Golden Globe Awards NBC | 20,756,000 | 1/8/2017 |
23 | NBA Finals Game 3: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 20,352,000 | 6/7/2017 |
24 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers NBC | 20,350,000 | 9/17/2017 |
25 | The Big Bang Theory (1013: “The Romance Recalibration”) CBS | 20,116,000 | 1/19/2017 |
26 | NBA Finals Game 2: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 19,902,000 | 6/4/2017 |
27 | This Is Us (201: “A Father’s Advice”) NBC | 19,874,000 | 9/26/2017 |
28 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Seattle Seahawks vs. Philadelphia Eagles NBC | 19,802,000 | 12/3/2017 |
29 | NCIS (1413: “Keep Going”) CBS | 19,721,000 | 1/24/2017 |
30 | NCIS (1411: “Willoughby”) CBS | 19,450,000 | 1/3/2017 |
31 | NFL Sunday Night Football: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons NBC | 19,391,000 | 10/22/2017 |
32 | The Big Bang Theory (1014: “The Emotion Detection Automation”) CBS | 19,313,000 | 2/2/2017 |
33 | NBA Finals Game 4: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 19,312,000 | 6/9/2017 |
34 | The Big Bang Theory (1106: “The Proton Regeneration”) CBS | 19,287,000 | 11/2/2017 |
35 | NCIS (1414: “Nonstop”) CBS | 19,269,000 | 2/7/2017 |
36 | The Big Bang Theory (1015: “The Locomotion Reverberation”) CBS | 19,245,000 | 2/9/2017 |
37 | The Good Doctor (101: Pilot – “Burnt Food”) ABC | 19,211,000 | 9/25/2017 |
38 | The Big Bang Theory (1102: “The Retraction Reaction”) CBS | 19,180,000 | 10/2/2017 |
39 | NCIS (1415: “Pandora’s Box, Part I”) CBS | 19,115,000 | 2/14/2017 |
40 | NFL Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers NBC | 19,075,000 | 11/26/2017 |
41 | World Series Game 5: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Fox | 19,057,000 | 10/29/2017 |
42 | NBA Finals Game 1: Golden State Warriors vs.Cleveland Cavaliers ABC | 19,056,000 | 6/1/2017 |
43 | NCAA March Madness Final Four: North Carolina vs. Oregon CBS | 18,914,000 | 4/1/2017 |
44 | NCIS (1412: “Off The Grid”) CBS | 18,816,000 | 1/17/2017 |
45 | The Big Bang Theory (1107: “The Geology Methodology”) CBS | 18,559,000 | 11/9/2017 |
46 | The Big Bang Theory (1109: “The Bitcoin Entanglement”) CBS | 18,541,000 | 11/30/2017 |
47 | NCIS (1416: “A Many Splendored Thing”) CBS | 18,330,000 | 2/21/2017 |
48 | The Big Bang Theory (1017: “The Comic-Con Conundrum”) CBS | 18,322,000 | 2/23/2017 |
49 | The Big Bang Theory (1108: “The Tesla Recoil”) CBS | 18,283,000 | 11/16/2017 |
50 | The Good Doctor (103: “Oliver”) ABC | 18,224,000 | 10/9/2017 |
Source: Nielsen. All telecasts, most current ratings, excluding durations under 26 minutes (1/1/17-12/3/17)
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