This article lists the television broadcasts that had the most viewers within individual countries, as measured by ratings and research agencies in those countries. The research methodology and choice of statistics varies between sources, and is explained in individual sections.
Because many events are watched simultaneously around the world and recorded programs are exported to multiple countries, it is difficult to collate reliable figures for global audiences. Those countries where reliable figures are available may use incompatible methodologies, such as the minimum age of counted viewers, and what proportion of the program must be watched when measuring the "reach" of a program, rather than its average or peak audience. Figures published by organisers and journalists are routinely exaggerated or misrepresented, claiming billions of viewers worldwide, where independent analysis suggests few if any broadcasts have reached 1 billion viewers.
Although numbers are unreliable, it is generally accepted that the most widely watched events worldwide are international sporting events such as the Summer Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, with annual events such as the CMG New Year's Gala in China, Super Bowl in the U.S., the Indian Premier League in India and the UEFA Champions League finals in Europe picking up large regional audiences. Other broadcasts frequently claimed to have broken records include news events such as the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing, funerals of significant figures such as Michael Jackson, Diana, Princess of Wales, or Elizabeth II, and music events such as the 1985 Live Aid benefit concert, 1993 Super Bowl Halftime Show, or the CMG New Year's Gala that is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's most watched television program.
Australia
Most-watched broadcasts of all time (total viewers)
The following is David Dale's approximate ranking of the most-watched television shows of all time in Australia using data from Nielsen Corporation and OzTAM.
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Rank !! Show !! Date !! Network
|-
| align="center"|1 || 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup semi-final, Australia vs England || 2023 || Seven Network, Optus Sport
|-
| align="center"|2 || Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II || 2022 || ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network, Ten Network
|-
| align="center"|3 || 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup quarter-final, Australia vs France || 2023 || Seven Network, Optus Sport
|-
| align="center"|4 || Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer || 1981 || ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network, Ten Network
|-
| align="center"|5 || 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony || 2000 || Seven Network
|-
| align="center"|6 || 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony || 2000 || Seven Network
|-
| align="center"|7 || Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton || 2011 || ABC, Seven Network, Nine Network, Ten Network
|-
| align="center"|8 || 1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremony || 1984 || Ten Network
|-
| align="center"|9 || The World of The Seekers || 1968 || Ten Network
|-
| align="center"|10 || Boxing: Lionel Rose v Alan Rudkin || 1964 || Seven Network
|}
Note: the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the Wedding of Prince Charles and the Wedding of Prince William were all carried by all 4 major networks and are counted together.
Most viewed broadcasts from 2001 to 2023 (OzTAM 5 City Metro Average)
The following table is a list of the most viewed programs based on the OzTAM 5 City Metro Average rating system. It does not include regional numbers (40% of the population) and uses the average viewership, not the peak viewership. Also note these ratings are not comparable with ratings before 2001 due to different methodologies used after this time. Ratings changed in 2024 and only records national viewership instead of the 5 metros.
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Rank !! Show !! Number of viewers !! Ratings !! Year !! Network
|-
| align="center"|1 || 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup semi-final, Australia vs England || 7.13 million