The Most Viewed Sporting Events of All-time
Sport is the great unifier; it is what brings us together in our droves to share in the heartbreak and revel in the glory. The unparalleled drama of sport is what attracts massive crowds to sports stadia around the world to drink in the spectacle of it.
But what are the most viewed sporting events of all-time? The games and matches that have captivated millions around the globe?
Super Bowl XLIX
NFL may be one of the most popular sports on these shores, but it pales in comparison to other global sporting events. Before we go further afield and explore the world’s most popular sporting events, let’s cast an eye on the most viewed Super Bowl of all-time.
The 2015 edition which saw the New England Patriots emerge victorious over the Seattle Seahawks was watched by a television audience of 114.4 million viewers. In Canada 8.26 million viewers tuned in whilst in the UK – a country not renowned for its love of NFL – 191,000 watched the action unfold.
The game itself was a great watch with superstar quarterback Tom Brady stealing the headlines and a supporting cast of Chris Matthews and Malcolm Butler impressing audiences too.
Super Bowl 2021 could go one step further in terms of viewing numbers though as this season’s race to the Lombardi Trophy remains too close to call. The current Super Bowl betting odds have the Chiefs and the Saints as favorites, but at this stage, anyone could win it.
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(Katy Perry’s half-time show at the 2015 Super Bowl was watched by over 100 million people worldwide.)
2013 Champions League Final
Soccer may not be super popular here in the USA but almost everywhere else in the world, it is the number one sport for fans.
The 2013 final of the Champions League which sees the best football teams in Europe fight it out for the crown was an all-German affair between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at London’s Wembley stadium.
The game was a tight affair with the scores level heading into the final stages, before Dutch winger Arjen Robben grabbed a late winner for Bayern. The spectacle was aired in more than 200 countries around the world and watched by a global audience of 360 million soccer (sorry, football) fans.
(Arjen Robben broke Dortmund hearts with his late strike in the 2013 Champions League Final.)
2005 FA Cup Final
The FA Cup is officially the world’s oldest football competition with the first games being played 149 years ago in 1871. Because of that the competition rightly has a great reputation around the world and regularly attracts millions of viewers from outside of England.
In the previous season Arsenal had romped to the Premier League title, remaining unbeaten throughout. Their phenomenal unbeaten record of 49-games was eventually halted by Manchester United in the fall of 2004 in a game that was marked by violent aggression from the Manchester club.
This clash further fuelled the animosity between the two sides and the 2005 FA Cup Final quickly descended from a football match into full blown war. Manchester United dominated the proceedings but Arsenal clung on throughout to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out.
The Gunners won the resulting shoot-out that was watched by 484 million fans around the globe. FA Cup Final 2020: Facts and stats from the competition – CBBC Newsround
(Despite being the lesser team throughout, Arsenal won the 2005 FA Cup Final)
2006 World Cup Final
Another entry from the world of football comes from the 2006 edition of the FIFA World Cup which was held in Germany.
The final was played out between Italy and France and despite being a low scoring affair – the regular action finished 1-1 – it has gone on to become one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport.
1998 winners France had defied the odds to reach the final, largely thanks to the performances of legendary midfielder Zinedine Zidane. In the final, Zidane put the French ahead with an audacious Panenka from the penalty spot before Italy fought their way back into the game.
Deep into extra time though is when the drama peaked. In an off the ball incident Zidane took exception to a comment from Italian centre-back Marco Materazzi and responded by headbutting him in the chest.
He was promptly sent off and France went on to lose the penalty shoot-out with 715 million viewers tuning in to watch the action.
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(The final is remembered for this headbutt from French captain Zinedine Zidane.)
2015 Cricket World Cup
Cricket is a sport almost entirely unknown to Americans, but much like football it is loved all around the world. The game best summarised as a much more complex version of baseball is incredibly popular in the UK, Australasia and Asia.
In 2015 the Cricket World Cup final saw old rivals New Zealand and Australia battle it out in the final in front of a crowd of 93,013. But it wasn’t the final that drew the biggest viewing figures in the tournament, rather it was the group stages.
A game between India and Pakistan which the former won by 76 runs was watched by an estimated global audience of 1 billion, making it the most-watched one-off sporting event of all-time.
(Cricket’s greatest rivalry drew a global audience of 1 billion.)
Notable Exceptions
You may have noticed that in our article there is no mention of the Olympic Games and there is a very good reason for this. Whilst the Olympics may be the most watched sporting event of all-time, it runs over the course of a month with the opening ceremony usually garnering the majority of the views.
Therefore, we have chosen not to include the Olympics in this list, rather focusing on one-off games or clashes that have captivated millions upon millions of sporting fanatics.
