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With increased competition and a general downward trend in live viewing, television specials tend to feel, well, less special with each passing year. There are still quite a few annual must-see live-TV hours -- and no, we're not even talking about sports (for this one).
From the Oscars to the Emmys and everything toward the top, TheWrap ranked the 15 most-watched broadcast-television entertainment specials of 2017. And with those very low Nielsen ratings out of Fox's "A Christmas Story Live," we've got no musicals making the cut this time.
Scroll through the gallery for the 15 biggest.
Also Read: 20 Most-Watched TV Specials of 2016: From Oscars to ‘Hairspray Live’ (Photos)
ABC
Rank: 1 Special: Oscars Date: February 26, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: ABC Total Viewers: 32.937 million
Also Read: 31 Highest and Lowest-Rated Shows of the Fall TV Season So Far (Photos)
CBS
Rank: 2 Special: Grammys Date: February 12, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: CBS Total Viewers: 26.071 million
Also Read: 17 TV Winners and Losers of 2017, From ‘This is Us’ to the Silence Breakers (Photos)
NBC
Rank: 3 Special: Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Date: November 23, 2017 Day of Week: Thursday Network: NBC Total Viewers: 24.060 million
Also Read: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Ratings Deflate 7 Percent From 2016
ABC
Rank: 4 Special: Oscars Red Carpet (8 p.m.) Date: February 26, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: ABC Total Viewers: 20.892 million
Also Read: Oscars Original Score Category Gives John Williams a Shot at 51st Nomination
NBC
Rank: 5 Special: Golden Globes Date: January 8, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: NBC Total Viewers: 20.014 million
Also Read: Golden Globes 2018: The Complete List of Nominees
CBS
Rank: 6 Special: Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special Date: December 3, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: CBS Total Viewers: 15.366 million
Also Read: Here’s the Average Age of a ‘Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special’ Viewer
ABC
Rank: 7 Special: Oscars Red Carpet (7:30 p.m.) Date: February 26, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: ABC Total Viewers: 15.279 million
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ABC
Rank: 8 Special: Country Music Awards Date: November 8, 2017 Day of Week: Wednesday Network: ABC Total Viewers: 14.278 million
Also Read: CMT’s 53 Straight Weeks of TV Ratings Growth Tops All Ad-Supported Cable
NBC
Rank: 9 Special: National Dog Show Date: November 23, 2017 Day of Week: Thursday Network: NBC Total Viewers: 11.556 million
Also Read: 10 Lowest-Rated TV Shows of Summer 2017 (Photos)
ABC
Rank: 10 Special: Oscars Red Carpet (7 p.m.) Date: February 26, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: ABC Total Viewers: 11.460 million
Also Read: SAG Awards: The Complete List of Nominees
CBS
Rank: 11 Special: Emmys Date: September 17, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: CBS Total Viewers: 11.394 million
Also Read: Emmys: TV Academy Adds Even More Categories, Tweaks Other Rules
CBS
Rank: 12 Special: Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards Date: April 2, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: CBS Total Viewers: 10.911 million
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CBS
Rank: 13 Special: "Stayin' Alive - A Grammys Salute to The Bee Gees" Date: April 16, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: CBS Total Viewers: 10.313 million
Also Read: Fox News Is Most-Watched Basic Cable Network in 2017
CBS
Rank: 14 Special: Grammys Red Carpet Date: February 12, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: CBS Total Viewers: 10.067 million
Also Read: ‘Stranger Things': 15.8 Million Watched Season 2 Premiere in First Weekend, Nielsen Says
ABC
Rank: 15 Special: American Music Awards Date: November 19, 2017 Day of Week: Sunday Network: ABC Total Viewers: 9.160 million
Also Read: Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Lands Most-Watched Week Since 2015 Premiere
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Honorable Mentions: NBC's Matt Lauer-less "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" (pictured) and ABC's "Billboard Music Awards" also averaged more than 8 million total viewers this year. Beat THAT, 2018.
Also Read: 13 Biggest TV Cliffhangers of 2017, From ‘Riverdale’ to ‘Stranger Things’ (Photos)
