The graph shows data on the most watched television episodes of all time in the United States as of September 2017. According to the source, the final episode of M*A*S*H, which aired on February 28, 1983, is the most watched episode of television ever, drawing in an average of over 50 million viewers.
Most watched TV episodes of all time in the United States as of September 2017, by average number of viewers
(in millions)
excluding all live broadcasts, including Super Bowls and award shows, as well as movies broadcast on TV, all of which appear prominently in Nielsen's top 100
Supplementary notes
Nielsen's viewer ratings are determined by measuring the average audience in each minute of a program as a representation of the total number of people who watched the show.
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Business Insider. (October 1, 2017). Most watched TV episodes of all time in the United States as of September 2017, by average number of viewers (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/665425/most-watched-tv-episodes-usa/
Business Insider. "Most watched TV episodes of all time in the United States as of September 2017, by average number of viewers (in millions)." Chart. October 1, 2017. Statista. Accessed December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/665425/most-watched-tv-episodes-usa/
Business Insider. (2017). Most watched TV episodes of all time in the United States as of September 2017, by average number of viewers (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/665425/most-watched-tv-episodes-usa/
Business Insider. "Most Watched Tv Episodes of All Time in The United States as of September 2017, by Average Number of Viewers (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Oct 2017, https://www.statista.com/statistics/665425/most-watched-tv-episodes-usa/
Business Insider, Most watched TV episodes of all time in the United States as of September 2017, by average number of viewers (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/665425/most-watched-tv-episodes-usa/ (last visited December 30, 2024)
Most watched TV episodes of all time in the United States as of September 2017, by average number of viewers (in millions) [Graph], Business Insider, October 1, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/665425/most-watched-tv-episodes-usa/
