The ratings continue to bear out the theory each year.
NFL games accounted for 82 of the of the 100 most-watched television broadcasts in 2022, per Nielsen; 75 of the top 100 in 2021; and 69 of the top 100 in 2020.
In 2019, 41 of the 50 most-watched TV programs belonged to — you guessed it — the National Football League.
Several factors contribute to the league’s immense popularity. Credit in part the relative paucity of NFL games compared with other pro sports leagues in America, the NHL and NBA playing nearly five times as many regular-season games as the NFL per season, while MLB teams compete 9.