Sports Night Episode Ratings Heatmap
1998 · 2 Seasons · 45 Episodes · Overall Score: 8.2/10 (23 rated)
S1E11: The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee (2 votes)
View Episode →Season 1 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 1 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 0.35), maintaining an average of 8.2.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 2 | 8.5 | – |
| Ep 3 | 8.5 | – |
| Ep 4 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 5 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 6 | 7.5 | – |
| Ep 7 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 8 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 9 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 10 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 11 | 9.0 | – |
| Ep 12 | 8.7 | – |
| Ep 13 | 8.7 | – |
| Ep 14 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 15 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 16 | 8.5 | – |
| Ep 17 | 8.5 | – |
| Ep 18 | 8.5 | – |
| Ep 19 | 8.5 | – |
| Ep 20 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 21 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 22 | 8.0 | – |
| Ep 23 | 8.5 | – |
| Season Avg | 8.2 | – |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 2 seasons and 45 episodes, Sports Night has earned an overall series rating of 8.2 out of 10. The series displays remarkable consistency across its narrative arc, maintaining reliable ratings from premiere to conclusion.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 1, Episode 11 ("The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"), rated at an extraordinary 9.0/10 with 2 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 1, Episode 6 ("The Head Coach, Dinner and the Morning Mail"), landing at 7.5/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 1 between Episode 13 ("Small Town", 8.7) and Episode 14 ("Rebecca", 8), a swing of 0.7 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of Sports Night
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 1, Ep 11 | The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee | 9.0 | 2 | Dec 15, 1998 |
| #2 | Season 1, Ep 12 | Smoky | 8.7 | 3 | Jan 5, 1999 |
| #3 | Season 1, Ep 13 | Small Town | 8.7 | 3 | Jan 12, 1999 |
| #4 | Season 1, Ep 2 | The Apology | 8.5 | 2 | Sep 29, 1998 |
| #5 | Season 1, Ep 3 | The Hungry and the Hunted | 8.5 | 2 | Oct 6, 1998 |
| #6 | Season 1, Ep 16 | Sally | 8.5 | 2 | Feb 23, 1999 |
| #7 | Season 1, Ep 17 | How Are Things in Glocca Morra? | 8.5 | 2 | Mar 9, 1999 |
| #8 | Season 1, Ep 18 | The Sword of Orion | 8.5 | 2 | Mar 23, 1999 |
| #9 | Season 1, Ep 19 | Eli's Coming | 8.5 | 2 | Mar 30, 1999 |
| #10 | Season 1, Ep 23 | What Kind of Day Has It Been | 8.5 | 2 | May 4, 1999 |