Anyone wondering why the ad market for live sports is so robust this year should take a look at the top 50 telecasts through March. Live sports accounts for 24 of the top 25 spots, and 45 of the top 50. A glimpse at the Olympics’ performance this year illustrates how important live sports has become to the TV business. NBC suffered through a fortnight of tough headlines, as its Olympics viewership from Beijing dropped 42% compared to Pyeongchang in 2018. But the Olympics still accounted for 12 of the top 46 shows through the first three months of the year. It’s no surprise that NFL games accounted for half of the top 50 list. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament placed five games in the top 50; college football had three.
Only one scripted show made the list: An episode of “NCIS: Hawaii,” bolstered by following the Chiefs-Bills playoff game, placed 49th.
