NBC Scores with Day -1 of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games

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NBC is off to a good start on the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. With Bob Costas explaining that there would be no live coverage due to the nine-hour time difference between the U.S. Eastern time zone and Sochi, Russia and having qualifying in Slopestyle and Freestyle skiing plus the beginning of the new Team Figure Skating event, NBC breezed to a broadcast primetime win.

The first night of coverage received an average viewership of 20 million and a rating of 11.3 with an 18 share. Those are NFL-type numbers and very impressive.

It’s the best Thursday night primetime rating on any network since the 2013 NFL season opener on NBC between the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos.

Here’s the NBC press release.

Average of 20 Million Viewers for Last Night’s Pre-Opening Ceremony Coverage
In Adults 18-49, NBC Exceeds Combined Total of Other Broadcast Nets

STAMFORD, Conn. – February 7, 2014 – Last night’s bonus Sochi Winter Olympics coverage on NBC posted the highest average rating and viewership for Thursday primetime on any network in more than five months, according to live plus same day fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company.

NBC’s telecast (8:30-11 pm) earned an 11.3/18 household rating/share and averaged 20.0 million viewers, marking the best primetime rating and viewership on any network on a Thursday since NBC’s NFL Kickoff game telecast on Sept. 5, 2013, which featured the Super Bowl-champion Baltimore Ravens visiting quarterback Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

Last night’s Olympic broadcast was the first ever for the network on the night before the Opening Ceremony and included the debut of the team figure skating and snowboarding slopestyle events as well as the women’s moguls competition.

In addition to ranking #1 in rating and viewership, the Thursday night Olympics broadcast on NBC earned a 6.0 primetime rating in the Adult 18-49 demographic – topping the combined total of ABC, CBS and FOX for the night.

Expect NBC to do well with the Opening Ceremony tonight. Speaking of the Opening Ceremony, NBC will utilize Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage to open its coverage.

Emmy Award-Winning Actor Narrates Opening Tease to NBC’s Opening Ceremony Coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET Tonight

SOCHI, Russia – February 7, 2014 – Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-winning actor Peter Dinklage will narrate the nearly seven-minute opening tease that will begin tonight’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony to the XXII Olympic Winter Games from Sochi, Russia. Coverage will begin with the tease airing at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Dinklage, who currently plays Tyrion Lannister in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, welcomes the audience to Russia and the Games. The opening showcases the history and culture of the world’s largest country, as well as the athletes viewers will become familiar with over the 17 days of the Games. Their stories will be highlighted just moments before they walk into Fisht Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony.

Olympians featured in the tease include Shaun White, Gracie Gold, Shani Davis, J.R. Celski, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Ashley Wagner, Julia Mancuso, Bode Miller, Tina Maze, Aksel Lund Svindal, Yuna Kim and Alex Ovechkin.

The tease was an on-going, year-long project, when NBC Olympics’ award-winning production team, led by executive producer Jim Bell, began to document the athletes’ stories and made frequent trips across Russia. The Features Unit traveled to numerous Russian Cities including Sochi, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, as well as a unique journey all the way to Siberia.

Click here to watch a preview clip of the show open.

In addition to Game of Thrones, Dinklage has appeared in films including The Station Agent, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Elf, Find Me Guilty, Underdog, Death at a Funeral and Ice Age: Continental Drift. In 2011, Dinklage earned the Emmy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his role on Game of Thrones.

That is all.

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