Sitcom Success Calculator
Which sitcom wins based on your priorities?
Results
Adjust weights above to see which sitcom wins
When people talk about the greatest sitcoms ever made, they often mean different things. Some care about ratings. Others care about cultural impact. Some just remember laughing so hard they cried. So which one actually wins? There’s no single metric that tells the whole story, but if you look at the data - ratings, syndication deals, streaming numbers, and lasting influence - one show stands out above the rest.
Friends: The Ratings King
Friends didn’t just dominate the 1990s - it ruled TV for a decade. When it ended in 2004, its final episode drew over 52 million viewers in the U.S. alone. That’s more than the Super Bowl that year. It held the #1 spot in the Nielsen ratings for six straight seasons. Even today, it’s the most-watched sitcom on Netflix globally. In 2023, it was streamed over 11 billion minutes in a single year. That’s not a typo. Eleven billion minutes. No other sitcom comes close.
Its success wasn’t just about popularity. It made money. NBC sold syndication rights for $1 million per episode - a record at the time. By 2020, the show had earned over $1 billion in syndication revenue. That’s more than any other comedy in history. And it’s still selling. Streaming platforms pay hundreds of millions just to keep it on their shelves.
Seinfeld: The Show About Nothing That Changed Everything
Some argue Seinfeld is the real champion. It didn’t have tearful goodbyes or weddings. It had nothing - no lessons, no growth, just absurdity. And that’s why it worked. It ran for nine seasons, won five Emmys, and ended with a 76 million viewer finale. But here’s the twist: its true power came after it left the air.
Seinfeld became the most syndicated show ever. By 2025, it was airing in over 180 countries, on more than 100 TV channels. It’s the only sitcom to have every single episode syndicated - no exceptions. That’s why it’s still on local TV in places like Kansas and Kentucky, late at night, with no commercials. Its reruns are so reliable that stations schedule their whole week around them.
It also changed how sitcoms were made. Before Seinfeld, most shows had moral lessons. After Seinfeld, comedy became about characters, not messages. It paved the way for shows like Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It didn’t just succeed - it redefined the genre.
Cheers: The OG Sitcom Empire
Before Friends and Seinfeld, there was Cheers. It ran for 11 seasons, from 1982 to 1993. It won 28 Emmys. Its finale had 80 million viewers - the biggest sitcom ending ever at the time. It held the #1 spot for three straight years. And it built the blueprint for the modern ensemble comedy.
It had chemistry. Sam and Diane. Norm and Cliff. Carla and Coach. Each character felt real. The bar wasn’t just a setting - it was a character. Cheers proved you could make a show about ordinary people in an ordinary place and still make it legendary. It also launched the careers of Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman. And it proved sitcoms could last more than five seasons.
But here’s the catch: Cheers didn’t have the same global reach. It never cracked international markets like Friends did. It was huge in the U.S., but outside North America, it barely registered. That’s why, for global impact, it falls behind.
The Andy Griffith Show: The Quiet Giant
Let’s not forget The Andy Griffith Show. It aired from 1960 to 1968. It was the #1 show in America for four years straight. Its final season had a 61% household rating - the highest ever for a sitcom at the time. Even today, it’s the most-watched classic sitcom on MeTV, a network dedicated to old TV.
Why does it still matter? Because it was the first sitcom to show small-town life with heart, not just jokes. It had no laugh track for emotional scenes - a bold move back then. It influenced everything from The Waltons to Gilmore Girls. But it didn’t have the same cultural footprint as the 90s giants. It’s loved, but not shared.
The Real Winner: Friends
So who wins? If you measure success by pure numbers - viewership, syndication cash, streaming minutes, and global reach - Friends is the undisputed champion.
It’s the only sitcom that’s been #1 on TV, #1 on DVD sales, #1 on streaming, and #1 in merchandising. It’s had a movie spinoff (Friends: The Reunion), a theme park exhibit, and a viral TikTok trend every year since 2020. Its catchphrases - “How you doin’?”, “We were on a break!” - are still used by people who weren’t even born when it aired.
Seinfeld might be smarter. Cheers might be warmer. The Andy Griffith Show might be purer. But none of them moved the needle like Friends did. It wasn’t just a show. It was a shared experience for three generations.
Why This Matters
Success isn’t just about being funny. It’s about being everywhere. Friends didn’t just make people laugh - it became part of how people talked, dated, and remembered their twenties. It turned actors into icons. It made a coffee shop (Central Perk) a cultural landmark. It gave us the phrase “I’m not saying it’s a bird… but it’s a bird.”
That’s the real measure of a sitcom’s greatness. Not awards. Not critical praise. Not even ratings alone. It’s how long it stays alive in your head - and in your conversations.
What About Modern Hits?
People point to The Good Place or Brooklyn Nine-Nine. They’re great. But they don’t have the numbers. The Good Place had a peak audience of 4.2 million. Brooklyn Nine-Nine peaked at 6 million. Neither cracked 10 million. Neither has a syndication deal worth billions. Neither has a global fanbase that still rewatching episodes every year.
Modern sitcoms are better made. They’re more diverse. They’re more clever. But they’re not built to last like Friends. Streaming has changed everything. Shows come and go. Friends? It’s still there. Always.
Is Friends the most-watched sitcom of all time?
Yes. Its final episode drew over 52 million viewers in the U.S., and it remains the most-streamed sitcom globally, with over 11 billion minutes watched in a single year in 2023. No other sitcom comes close in total viewership or streaming numbers.
Why is Seinfeld considered so influential?
Seinfeld revolutionized sitcom writing by proving you didn’t need moral lessons or character growth to succeed. It focused on absurd, everyday situations and became the most syndicated show ever - airing in over 180 countries and on hundreds of local channels. Its influence is visible in shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation.
Did Cheers have a bigger impact than Friends?
Cheers was huge - 11 seasons, 28 Emmys, and a record-breaking finale. But its impact was mostly American. Friends reached every continent, became a global phenomenon, and continues to dominate streaming platforms today. Cheers laid the groundwork; Friends built the empire.
Why hasn’t The Andy Griffith Show stayed as popular?
It’s still beloved, especially among older audiences. But its tone - wholesome, slow-paced, and rooted in 1960s values - doesn’t resonate as strongly with younger viewers. It lacks the viral moments, meme culture, and international appeal that Friends and Seinfeld have.
Can any modern sitcom beat Friends’ record?
Unlikely. Modern sitcoms are made for streaming, not weekly broadcast. They don’t get syndicated like old shows. Even massive hits like The Good Place or Ted Lasso don’t have the same long-term revenue streams or global rerun power. Friends was built for TV’s golden age - and it’s the last of its kind.
