Ratings Winners
The final episode of M*A*S*H‘Goodbye, Farewell and Amen’ (CBS, USA) had an estimated audience of 125 million people, when it was transmitted on 28 February 1983. Here are some other programmes that pulled in record figures:
Largest TV audience - live broadcast
The worldwide TV audience for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997) on 6 September 1997 at Westminster Abbey, London, UK, was estimated at 2.5 billion.
Largest TV audience - series
Tested at its peak of popularity, Baywatch (NBC, then syndicated, USA) became the most widely viewed TV series in the world ever, with an estimated weekly audience of more than 1.1 billion in 142 countries in 1996. Covering every continent bar Antarctica, the show has since been seen in 148 countries and translated into 44 languages.
Largest TV audience - space event
The largest TV audience for a space event was the first moonwalk by the Apollo 11 astronauts in July 1969, which was watched on TV by an estimated 600 million people, a fifth of the world's population at the time.
Largest TV audience - wedding
The largest TV audience for a wedding occurred on 29 July 1981, during the marriage of HRH Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer (both UK), which was seen by an estimated 750 million people in 74 countries.
Largest TV audience - reality programme
The largest audience for any reality TV show is for the final episode of CBS' Survivor programme in the USA. Approximately 51 million people, or 41% of America's viewing public, watched Richard Hatch (USA) win the $1 million (£660,000) prize money on 24 August 2000.
28 February 2008