Top Five Most-Watched Sports Events of All Time

When considering the most-watched televised events globally, it's clear that sports dominate the list. These events, whether annual or quadrennial, captivate billions of viewers and often see a spike in popularity for online betting. Here’s a look at the top five most-watched sports events of all time:

5. Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics will return from February 6 to February 22, 2026, hosted in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The previous Winter Olympics in Beijing 2022 attracted an impressive two billion viewers, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Despite this high figure, recent years have seen a decline in global viewership. Italy hopes to reverse this trend during their hosting. Norway has dominated the Winter Games in recent years, and they’ll aim for a third consecutive medal haul in 2026.

4. Cricket World Cup

The 2024 Cricket World Cup, co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, will be held throughout June. The 2023 Cricket World Cup, hosted in India, set new records for digital and broadcast viewership. The International Cricket Council (ICC) reported over one trillion minutes of viewing, equating to around 2.6 billion global viewers at its peak, driven by massive fanbases in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

3. Summer Olympics

The 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in Paris from late July to mid-August. Historically, the Summer Olympics are among the most-watched events globally. The Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics, postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic, saw 3.05 billion viewers across various platforms. The United States has led the medal tally at every Summer Olympics since Atlanta 1996 and will look to extend that streak this summer.

2. Tour de France – 3.5 Billion

The Tour de France, a staple since 1903 with interruptions only for the World Wars, is set to take place from late June to late July 2024. The 2023 edition attracted 3.5 billion viewers over its 23-day span, according to Johnson & Wales University. This prestigious cycling event continues to draw massive global audiences.

1. Men’s FIFA World Cup

The 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup will be hosted across the USA, Mexico, and Canada from mid-June to mid-July. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar set a new benchmark with five billion people engaging with the tournament through various platforms. The final alone, featuring Argentina and France, was watched by 1.5 billion people—nearly one in five people on the planet. With games scheduled in North America for 2026, the viewership record is expected to be significantly surpassed.