You say “I’m sick of Michael Jackson,” yet it seems as if it’s too damn tempting not to watch. Nielsen says 30.9 million viewers watched the service, which aired on 18 different networks. Overseas audience proved to be huge as well. Coverage in the United Kingdom averaged 4 million viewers. An amazing 20 million people in Germany tuned in as well. This does not, however, reflect the outstanding amount of people watching online video streams. MNSBC.com reports that they broke a single-day record with 19 million video streams.
MJ places third in ratings. Former President Ronald Reagan’s burial ceremony in 2005 was seen more than 35 million people; 33 million tuned in to Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.
With the large crowds and people gathering in places outside of their homes like theatres, offices, restaurants/bars, streets plus the added millions Princess Diana and to a large extent Reagan didnt have. I would estimate the actual amount of people that caught the memorial is over 100 million.