10 Most-Watched Sports Events of All Time [Ranked]

Key Takeaways Jake Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson attacted 65 million viewers, making it the 10th most-watched sporting event ever.
The Beijing 2008 Olympics attracted 4.7 billion viewers, showcasing the global interest in the event.
The 2022 Qatar World Cup had 5.4 billion viewers, making it the most-watched sporting event of all time. ✕ Remove Ads
Sport brings people together like nothing else. Whether it’s football, basketball, cricket or boozing – there are plenty of events around the world for people to sink their teeth into every month of the year from the glum month of January to the summer period between June and August.
Utilising viewing figures, in isolation, is not the best way to evaluate how well-watched each event is, of course, but it is a surefire way of determining each of their concurrent interest. Using figures from The Sun’s in-depth report, here are the top 10 most-watched sporting events of all time – from Jake Paul’s notable win over Mike Tyson to when Lionel Messi was crowned World Cup champion in 2022.
10 Most-Watched Sports Events of All Time [Ranked] Rank Event Sport Viewing Figures 1. 2022 World Cup, Qatar Football 5.4 billion 2. Beijing 2008 Olympics Olympics 4.7 billion 3. 2024 Tour de France Cycling 3.5 billion 4. Torino 2006 Winter Olympics Olympics 2.1 billion 5. Muhammad Ali vs Leon Spinks, 1978 Boxing 2 billion 6. 2019 Cricket World Cup Cricket 1.6 billion 7. Asian Games Multi-Sport 986 million 8. South Africa vs England, 2019 Rugby World Cup final Rugby 857 million 9. 2024 Superbowl – Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers American Football 124 million 10. Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson, 2024 Boxing 65 million
10 Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson, 2024
Viewing figures: 65 million
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Mike Tyson’s final bite of the cherry didn’t end how the veteran boxer, born in New York City, would have wanted it to with him losing via unanimous decision. Social media sensation Paul, 27, reigned victorious in a bout consisting of eight two-minute rounds – one that saw just 375 punches being thrown between the pair.
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Taking part in his first fight for 19 years, Iron Mike’s highly-anticipated return to action was streamed live on Netflix – the first time in the broadcaster’s history – and reeled in 65 million viewers, making it the second-most watched boxing fight of all time. Despite the lack of action, the pre-fight buzz at the AT&T Stadium in Texas resulted in a record-breaking night for Netflix.
9 Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers – 2024 Superbowl
Viewing figures: 124 million
Being the ninth most-watched sporting event of all time is no mean feat, especially given that it is a yearly tradition. Especially in North America, crowds gather in their numbers to switch on the sport’s greatest affair – but they broke records in their 2024 iteration between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
The former came from behind (with the score poised at 10-3) to win 25-22, with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes – who is predicted to be one of the next NFL MVPs – playing a starring role once again. Alongside the action, the American Football showpiece also includes a half-time performance from some of music’s all-time greats which, in itself, brings in alternative viewers.
8 South Africa vs England – 2019 Rugby World Cup Final
Viewing figures: 857 million
Despite often being overshadowed – especially in England – by football, rugby is still well-documented around the world, with nations such as New Zealand, Wales and Australia all sharing a major interest in the sport. It was South Africa’s win against England, a game that ended 32-12, that pulled in the biggest numbers, however.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: The match was even the United Kingdom’s most-watched TV broadcast in 2019.
A total of 857 million people, according to The Sun’s in-depth report, tuned into the Rugby World Cup final five years ago in 2019 with the likes of Owen Farrell, Tom Curry and Courtney Lawes having to watch the Springboks win their third-ever Rugby World Cup title as they cemented themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
7 Asian Games
Viewing figures: 986 million
A grand total of 45 participating countries – including India, Qatar, South Korea, China and the like – are involved in the Asian Games. Commonly known as Asiad, the four-yearly competition is a continental multi-sport event that brings in an average of 986 million viewers every time it comes around.
It may be a shocking inclusion given its lack of media coverage, but the mere fact that half of the world’s population reside in Asia, their lofty viewing figures start to make a lot of sense. The first Asian Games (1951) were hosted in New Delhi, India and their latest instalment (2022) were held in Hangzhou, China.
6 2019 Cricket World Cup
Viewing figures: 1.6 billion
From England to India – cricket is one of the most loved sports on the planet. And when the former nation beat New Zealand at Lord’s in London in 2019, there were a total of 1.6 billion people that bore witness to the memorable victory.
The well-documented tournament drags on for in excess of a monthly period which, in turn, allows broadcasters plenty of time to lure in major audiences. The sport itself may only be very popular in a small number of countries, but their record-breaking viewing numbers are thanks to hosting a significant portion of the world’s population.
5 Muhammad Ali vs Leon Spinks, 1978
Viewing figures: 2 billion
Contested on 15 September 1978, boxing sensation Muhammad Ali’s bout with underdog Leon Spinks was the most-watched boxing event of all time – with plenty more viewers than Paul’s victory over Tyson. Ali’s superstardom nature, with him regarded as one of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers in history, saw viewers from all manner of countries flick on their television to watch him in action.
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In the final victory of his career, Ali – affectionately monikered ‘The Greatest’ thanks to his unrivalled boxing ability – won the adoration of the world by bringing in unprecedented numbers – 2 billion of the world’s population, to be exact. Having lost their first fight by split decision in February of the same year, the three judges scoured the bout 11–4, 10–4–1 and 10–4–1, all in favor of Ali giving him a unanimous decision win.
4 2006 Winter Olympics (Torino, Italy)
Viewing figures: 2.1 billion
First held in 1924, the Winter Olympics are often overshadowed by their much sunnier sibling: the Summer Olympics. What is so special about the Games is how they put sports in the limelight that do not typically get the numbers through the door on their own.
As expected, the Winter Games are naturally dominated by cold-weather countries – with Norway top of the all-time medal table ahead of the likes of Canada and Austria. Its Torino-based instalment in 2006, according to The Sun, was the most-watched event of its kind as 2.1 billion viewers were recorded from start to finish. Germany (11 gold, 12 silver and six bronze medals) were the overall champions.
3 2024 Tour de France
Viewing figures: 3.5 billion
By virtue of the event being raced over a grand total of 23 days, the most prestigious cycling race in the world – the Tour de France – has more time than most to accumulate big numbers from a viewership standpoint. In comparison, the Tour de France draws a huge audience – but they don’t necessarily stick with the broadcast for the entirety.
From all corners of the globe, north of three billion people tune into parts of the France-based event, according to race organisers, which earns it third place on this list. A total of 12 million of those are in physical attendance while a total of 190 countries tune in to watch from the comfort of their own home.
2 Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Viewing figures: 4.7 billion
Admittedly, it’s not much of a surprise that the Olympic Games is nearing the summit of this list given the plethora of countries and events that are on offer every four years. As such, a whole range of viewers are interested and, therefore, tune in given its multi-faceted nature.
It was 16 years ago, in 2008, that saw a large chunk of the world’s population – around the 4.7 billion mark, to be precise – watch at some point over the two weeks of coverage. Host nation China ran away as the country with the overall win (48 gold, 22 silver and 30 bronze; 100 in total). The United States finished second, while Russia took home the bronze medal.
1 2022 Qatar World Cup
Viewing figures: 5.4 billion
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As Rosario-born Messi completed football, lifting the prestigious World Cup in the process, there were 5.4 billion people glued to their televisions in anticipation across the entire competition. Its conclusion, which saw Argentina defeat Kylian Mbappe’s France on penalties in what is widely regarded as one of the best World Cup finals in football history.
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The two Paris Saint-Germain stars went toe-to-toe on 18 December at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar – and, as such, a record-breaking 1.5 billion tuned in to witness greatness before their very eyes. Incredibly, the final would find a spot on the list in isolation. A moment that will never be recreated, it was that special.