Average Time Spent Watching TV Sports Has Increased For The Total Population & Millennials Over The Last Eight Years Sports-Related National TV Programming: Average Annual Minutes Viewed Comparison CY 2008 vs. CY 2016 +14% +2% No days off! Source: Nielsen NPower R&F Program Report, Total Day, Live+7, P2+ & P18-34, ad-supported cable TV + broadcast TV, based on calendar year; excludes Regional Sports Networks and local broadcast airings. Sports-related programming includes live sports, sports news, sports commentary, etc. Comparison based on years with Summer Olympics.