NFL Football dominates television's All-Time Top-Rated 50 Programs
with 21 Super Bowls and the 1981 NFC Championship Game making the list.
Rankings based on surveys taken from January 1961 through May 17, 1998;
include only sponsored programs seen on individual networks; and programs
under 30 minutes scheduled duration are excluded. Programs are listed with
ratings points, audience share and number of households watching, according
to Nielsen Media Research.
Multiple entries: The Super Bowl (21); “Roots” (7); “The Beverly
Hillbillies” and “The Thorn Birds” (3); “The Bob Hope Christmas Show,”
“The Ed Sullivan Show,” “Gone With The Wind” and 1994 Winter Olympics (2).
| Program | Episode/Game | Net | Date | Rating | Share | Households | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M*A*S*H (series) | Final episode | CBS | 2/28/83 | 60.2 | 77 | 50,150,000 |
| 2 | Dallas (series) | “Who Shot J.R.?” | CBS | 11/21/80 | 53.3 | 76 | 41,470,000 |
| 3 | Roots (mini-series) | Part 8 | ABC | 1/30/77 | 51.1 | 71 | 36,380,000 |
| 4 | Super Bowl XVI | 49ers 26, Bengals 21 | CBS | 1/24/82 | 49.1 | 73 | 40,020,000 |
| 5 | Super Bowl XVII | Redskins 27, Dolphins 17 | NBC | 1/30/83 | 48.6 | 69 | 40,480,000 |
| 6 | XVII Winter Olympics | Women's Figure Skating | CBS | 2/23/94 | 48.5 | 64 | 45,690,000 |
| 7 | Super Bowl XX | Bears 46, Patriots 10 | NBC | 1/26/86 | 48.3 | 70 | 41,490,000 |
| 8 | Gone With the Wind (movie) | Part 1 | NBC | 11/7/76 | 47.7 | 65 | 33,960,000 |
| 9 | Gone with the Wind (movie) | Part 2 | NBC | 11/8/76 | 47.4 | 64 | 33,750,000 |
| 10 | Super Bowl XII | Cowboys 27, Broncos 10 | CBS | 1/15/78 | 47.2 | 67 | 34,410,000 |
| 11 | Super Bowl XIII | Steelers 35, Cowboys 31 | NBC | 1/21/79 | 47.1 | 74 | 35,090,000 |
| 12 | Bob Hope Special | Christmas Show | NBC | 1/15/70 | 46.6 | 64 | 27,260,000 |
| 13 | Super Bowl XVIII | Raiders 38, Redskins 9 | CBS | 1/22/84 | 46.4 | 71 | 38,800,000 |
| Super Bowl XIX | 49ers 38, Dolphins 16 | ABC | 1/20/85 | 46.4 | 63 | 39,390,000 | |
| 15 | Super Bowl XIV | Steelers 31, Rams 19 | CBS | 1/20/80 | 46.3 | 67 | 35,330,000 |
| 16 | Super Bowl XXX | Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 | NBC | 1/28/96 | 46.0 | 68 | 44,114,400 |
| ABC Theater (special) | “The Day After” | ABC | 11/20/83 | 46.0 | 62 | 38,550,000 | |
| 18 | Roots (mini-series) | Part 6 | ABC | 1/28/77 | 45.9 | 66 | 32,680,000 |
| The Fugitive (series) | Final episode | ABC | 8/29/67 | 45.9 | 72 | 25,700,000 | |
| 20 | Super Bowl XXI | Giants 39, Broncos 20 | CBS | 1/25/87 | 45.8 | 66 | 40,030,000 |
| 21 | Roots (mini-series) | Part 5 | ABC | 1/27/77 | 45.7 | 71 | 32,540,000 |
| 22 | Super Bowl XXVIII | Cowboys 30, Bills 13 | NBC | 1/29/94 | 45.5 | 66 | 42,860,000 |
| Cheers | Final episode | NBC | 5/20/93 | 45.5 | 64 | 42,360,500 | |
| 24 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Beatles' 1st appearance | CBS | 2/9/64 | 45.3 | 60 | 23,240,000 |
| 25 | Super Bowl XXVII | Cowboys 52, Bills 17 | NBC | 1/31/93 | 45.1 | 66 | 41,988,100 |
| 26 | Bob Hope Special | Christmas Show | NBC | 1/14/71 | 45.0 | 61 | 27,050,000 |
| 27 | Roots (mini-series) | Part 3 | ABC | 1/25/77 | 44.8 | 68 | 31,900,000 |
| 28 | Super Bowl XXXII | Denver 31, Green Bay 24 | NBC | 1/25/98 | 44.5 | 67 | 43,630,000 |
| 29 | Super Bowl XI | Raiders 32, Vikings 14 | NBC | 1/9/77 | 44.4 | 73 | 31,610,000 |
| Super Bowl XV | Raiders 27, Eagles 10 | NBC | 1/25/81 | 44.4 | 63 | 34,540,000 | |
| 31 | Super Bowl VI | Cowboys 24, Dolphins 3 | CBS | 1/16/72 | 44.2 | 74 | 27,450,000 |
| 32 | XVII Winter Olympics | Women's Figure Skating | CBS | 2/25/94 | 44.1 | 64 | 41,540,000 |
| Roots (mini-series) | Part 2 | ABC | 1/24/77 | 44.1 | 62 | 31,400,000 | |
| 34 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Regular episode | CBS | 1/8/64 | 44.0 | 65 | 22,570,000 |
| 35 | Roots (mini-series) | Part 4 | ABC | 1/26/77 | 43.8 | 66 | 31,190,000 |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | Beatles' 2nd appearance | CBS | 2/16/64 | 43.8 | 60 | 22,445,000 | |
| 37 | Super Bowl XXIII | 49ers 20, Bengals 16 | NBC | 1/22/89 | 43.5 | 68 | 39,320,000 |
| 38 | The Academy Awards | John Wayne wins Oscar | ABC | 4/7/70 | 43.4 | 78 | 25,390,000 |
| 39 | Super Bowl XXXI | Packers 35, Patriots 21 | FOX | 1/26/97 | 43.3 | 65 | 42,000,000 |
| 40 | The Thorn Birds (mini-series) | Part 3 | ABC | 3/29/83 | 43.2 | 62 | 35,990,000 |
| 41 | The Thorn Birds (mini-series) | Part 4 | ABC | 3/30/83 | 43.1 | 62 | 35,900,000 |
| 42 | NFC Championship Game | 49ers 28, Cowboys 27 | CBS | 1/10/82 | 42.9 | 62 | 34,940,000 |
| 43 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Regular episode | CBS | 1/15/64 | 42.8 | 62 | 21,960,000 |
| 44 | Super Bowl VII | Dolphins 14, Redskins 7 | NBC | 1/14/73 | 42.7 | 72 | 27,670,000 |
| 45 | The Thorn Birds (mini-series) | Part 2 | ABC | 3/28/83 | 42.5 | 59 | 35,400,000 |
| 46 | Super Bowl IX | Steelers 16, Vikings 6 | NBC | 1/12/75 | 42.4 | 72 | 29,040,000 |
| The Beverly Hillbillies | Regular episode | CBS | 2/26/64 | 42.4 | 60 | 21,750,000 | |
| 48 | Super Bowl X | Steelers 21, Cowboys 17 | CBS | 1/18/76 | 42.3 | 78 | 29,440,000 |
| ABC Sunday Night Movie | “Airport” | ABC | 11/11/73 | 42.3 | 63 | 28,000,000 | |
| ABC Sunday Night Movie | “Love Story” | ABC | 10/1/72 | 42.3 | 62 | 27,410,000 | |
| Cinderella | Musical special | CBS | 2/22/65 | 42.3 | 59 | 22,250,000 | |
| Roots (mini-series) | Part 7 | ABC | 1/29/77 | 42.3 | 65 | 30,120,000 |
Note: The final Seinfeld
episode on May 14, 1998 became the 64th highest-watched program of all
time (41.3/58).