In case you didn't know, the NFL rules the world, at least when it comes to TV ratings. This was evident when Sports Media Watch released their list of the 50 most-watched sporting events of the first half of 2012. Despite just one week of the regular season included in the list, the NFL owns the top 12 most-watched shows of 2012 (so far).
The first non-NFL game is the National Championship game between LSU and Alabama, which falls at No. 13. The top NCAA basketball game was the Final Four matchup between Kentucky and Kansas, which came in at No. 15. And the top NBA show on the list is Game 5 of the NBA Finals, between the Heat and Thunder, which comes in at No. 17.
Week 17 of the NFL season beat all those games, the top sporting events of the year in college football, college basketball and the NBA.
Even the Pro Bowl, which might be the worst all-star event in any sport, was watched by more people than six of the seven games between the Heat and Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
These ratings are why SB Nation's NFL bloggers took a stab at fixing the game day experience. Sports fans, especially NFL fans, are realizing just how nice it is to stay at home and watch games, instead of actually attending the game. The NFL has seen a slight attendance drop in the last five years, but if you look at the TV ratings, they're not losing any fans. Those fans just aren't going to the games.
Check out SB Nation's list of five ways to get fans back into NFL stadiums.