30 Most Watched TV Events That Drew Millions, Even Billions, Of Spectators Worldwide

Back in the day, there were few options for what to watch on a Friday night. There were just a couple of channels available on that hefty old box with the cable ears we used to call a TV. Hence, today, with the abundance of streaming services, TV channels, and social media platforms that divide society's attention, it's getting increasingly harder to beat prior records set by most watched TV events. Still, quite a few occasions in recent years made it among the most watched events on TV.

Indeed the most watched TV event list is dominated by the biggest sporting events in the world that happen less than annually, like the World Cup and the Olympics. Yet, many news events are also among the most watched events in TV history. Unfortunately, when it comes to news, bad news dominates the headlines. Thus, many of the biggest historical events broadcast on TV were, in fact, memorial services. Queen Elizabeth II's final farewell was the most recent and most prominent one. In fact, according to the media, with an estimated figure of 5.1 billion, the Queen's funeral became the most-watched TV event in history.

Unfortunately, that's the case with every other most-watched event on TV — there's likely a not-too-happy reasoning behind it. Still, plenty of occasions worth celebrating, such as nuptials, concerts, charity events, and legendary matches, also make up the list. Below, all in one place, we collected the biggest events in history that drew millions, even billions, of spectators worldwide. Do you remember watching any of them live? Let us know, and share your experience!