9 Most-Watched TV Events Ever, Including the 'M*A*S*H' Finale (2024)
Four decades ago in 1983, an estimated 60 percent of American households flicked on their televisions and tuned their sets to CBS for the series finale of M*A*S*H. That final installment got a 60.2 Nielsen rating and is the highest-rated telecast to date, according to the analytics company.
When accounting for total viewers, though, the ranking changes. Citing Nielsen data, Wikipedia users have listed of the 30 most-watched television broadcasts in the United States, and the M*A*S*H finale isn’t in the top slot. After consolidating the Super Bowl broadcasts on the list — since those NFL games take up 22 entries in the top 30! — here’s where the ranking stands.
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MAS*H Finale and Television Ratings
The series finale of MASH, which aired in 1983, holds the record for the highest Nielsen rating for a single television broadcast, with a 60.2 rating. However, when considering total viewers, the ranking changes, and the MASH finale isn't in the top slot. This is due to the inclusion of Super Bowl broadcasts, which occupy a significant number of entries in the top 30 most-watched television broadcasts in the United States.
The MAS*H finale remains a significant milestone in television history, drawing a massive audience and leaving a lasting impact on popular culture. The finale's high viewership reflects the show's widespread popularity and enduring appeal.
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Nearly six decades later, the Apollo 11 moon landing still stands at the most-watched TV program of all time. Across all networks, upwards of 150 million people tuned in to watch humans touch down on the surface of the moon.
No. The most watched series finale in U.S. television history remains the 1983 finale of the CBS war/medical dramedy M*A*S*H, titled "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen".
Airing February 28, 1983, the series finale of M*A*S*H, titled “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” still holds the record as the most-viewed television finale of all time.
Sunday's Super Bowl matchup broke viewership records, becoming the most watched telecast in U.S. TV history. An average of more than 123 million people tuned in over the duration of the game. That's according to national ratings figures from Nielsen and CBS.
The word final is derived the Latin word finalis, which means concluding. Finale is the end of a piece of music, a performance, or a show. Usually, a finale is the most spectacular part of the piece in order to leave the audience with a feeling of wonder. The word finale is also derived from the Latin word finalis.
As of April 2023, the most popular English-language Netflix TV show of all time was the first season of the comedy horror TV show "Wednesday," with over 252 million views in the show's first 91 days on the platform.
In “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” on Feb. 28, 1983, as the Korean War was ending, members of the 4077th MASH folded up their surgical tents, and characters said their bittersweet goodbyes. The episode drew 105.97 million total viewers — by far the largest number of people ever, watching a prime-time television episode.
Alda was the only actor to appear in every episode, and MASH saw many major actors exit throughout its 11-season run. The most infamous was Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson), a key supporting player throughout the first three seasons who was abruptly killed off in his final episode.
Super Bowl LVIII has become the most-watched telecast in history, and the most-watched television event since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon in 1969.
The Super Bowl. Of the 30 most-watched television broadcasts in US history, 23 are the NFL's championship match. The only non-Super Bowl in the top 10 is the moon landing (heard of it?) in 1969. Interestingly, these 10 games all took place in the last 13 years.
In 2022, TV consumption in the United States was highest among African Americans, who watched an average of nearly three and half an hours of TV each day. While the viewing time dropped among white, Black, and Hispanic consumers, Asian Americans' time spent grew from 2021 to 2022 to around two hours per day.
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