Click through the photos to find the Top 20 TV specials of 2016, ranked in descending order. All numbers in this slideshow are from Nielsen’s Live + Same Day ratings.
Rank: 1
Special: Academy Awards
Date: 02/28/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 34.425 million
Rank: 2
Special: Grammy Awards
Date: 02/15/2016
Day of Week: Monday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 24.927 million
Rank: 3
Special: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Date: 11/24/2016
Day of Week: Thursday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 24.639 million
Rank: 4
Special: Oscars Red Carpet Preview Show – Part 3
Date: 02/28/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 22.284 million
Rank: 5
Special: “Late Show” – Primetime Super Bowl
Date: 02/07/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 20.552 million
Rank: 6
Special: Golden Globe Awards
Date: 01/10/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 18.511 million
Rank: 7
Special: Oscars Red Carpet Preview Show – Part 2
Date: 02/28/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 15.703 million
Rank: 8
Special: “Little Big Shots” – special
Date: 03/08/2016
Day of Week: Tuesday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 12.814 million
Rank: 9
Special: Country Music Awards
Date: 11/02/2016
Day of Week: Wednesday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 12.495 million
Rank: 10
Special: “Grease: Live”
Date: 01/31/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: Fox
Total Viewers: 12.206 million
Rank: 11
Special: Oscars Red Carpet Preview Show – Part 1
Date: 02/28/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 11.528 million
Rank: 12
Special: “Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love”
Date: 11/30/2016
Day of Week: Wednesday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 11.519 million
Rank: 13
Special: “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials”
Date: 02/02/2016
Day of Week: Tuesday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 11.438 million
Rank: 14
Special: Emmy Awards
Date: 09/18/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 11.382 million
Rank: 15
Special: ACM Awards
Date: 04/03/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 11.203 million
Rank: 16
Special: “Christmas in Rockefeller Center”
Date: 11/30/2016
Day of Week: Wednesday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 10.502 million
Rank: 17
Special: JonBenet Ramsey – special
Date: 09/18/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 10.422 million
Rank: 18
Special: Billboard Music Awards
Date: 05/22/2016
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 9.762 million
Rank: 19
Special: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
Date: 11/29/2016
Day of Week: Tuesday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 9.394 million
Rank: 20
Special: “Hairspray Live!”
Date: 12/07/2016
Day of Week: Wednesday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 9.045 million
The 2017 Academy Awards will likely once-again easily top the year — so mark your calendars for February 26.
