National
#1 Sports Event
A record 114.4 million people watched Super Bowl XLIX, the largest audience in TV history. The N.F.L. championship game is a sports and cultural touchstone that offers something for everyone—clever advertisements, an over-the-top halftime concert, and, of course, the game itself. Next: February 7, 2016, Santa Clara, California
National
#2 Sports Event
The culmination of the men’s college basketball championship has introduced the terms “bracketology” and “March Madness” into the national vocabulary. Interest in the game from sponsors and viewers continues to grow. This year’s championship game between Kentucky and Wisconsin averaged 28.3 million total viewers, the most since 1997. Next: April 2-4, 2016, Houston
August, Georgia
#3 Sports Event
With his win, young golfer Jordan Spieth is making a claim as the sport’s next big superstar. He won the coveted green jacket and helped boost ratings to 14 million viewers for the final round. Next: April 7-10, 2016
Daytona Beach, Florida
#4 Sports Event
The 500-mile race kicks off Nascar’s Sprint Cup, paying out the largest purse of the season and attracting the largest TV audience of any auto race. A renovation to the Daytona International Speedway that added new higher grandstands will make for a more comfortable experience for fans next year. Next: February 21, 2016
Indianapolis
#5 Sports Event (new to the list)
The nation’s most historic auto race celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, a significant milestone for the open-wheel race. Nascar’s premier races have surpassed the Indy 500—it drew about 6.4 million viewers in 2015—although Indy’s live crowd counts about 100,000 more fans than the Daytona 500. Next: May 29, 2016
New York
#6 Sports Event
Bankable stars like Serena Williams, who won the women’s singles title in 2014, keep interest in the Grand Slam tournament high. Highbrow sponsors such as Tiffany & Company and American Express reach some 713,600 live spectators. Next: August 29-September 12, 2016
Louisville, Kentucky
#7 Sports Event
Horse racing had a historic year in 2015, as American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. The now-legendary horse began his journey at Churchill Downs, home to the derby and the first leg in the three-race series. Next: May 7, 2016
Boston
#8 Sports Event
The road race, a celebration of Patriots’ Day, is the nation’s oldest sporting event and its most prestigious marathon. The 2015 theme was “There Is Only One Boston,” and the mayor declared race day “One Boston Day,” a recognition of the lives lost in the 2013 bombings at the race. Next: April 18, 2016
New York
#9 Sports Event
Miss P, a beagle, won best in show in a field of 2,711 dogs competing at the Madison Square Garden spectacle, which has been held continuously since 1877. Next: February 15-16, 2016
