There seems to be a vocal minority about NBC’s tape delay policy. It’s very loud on social media and in the mainstream media, but it comes down to viewership, people are speaking with their remotes and the results speak loudly.
Once again, NBC experienced an increase in ratings for Sunday’s primetime broadcast. The overnight ratings for Sunday resulted in a 21.7 rating and a 35 share. That’s 2% higher than Beijing for the 2nd night of the Olympics and it becomes the highest-rated non-US Summer Olympics broadcast in US television history.
The top rated local market last night was Milwaukee. The top rated time zones through the first three days of coverae were in the Mountain and Pacific respectively. I think NBC wants to point that out to show despite the extensive delays from London, viewers out West are watching.
So here are the numbers from NBC.
- Last night, the second night of competition, NBC drew a 21.7 overnight rating and 35 share (7-11:15 p.m. ET/PT), the best overnight rating for the first Sunday night for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics ever.
- The 21.7 Overnight Rating and 35 Share is 2% higher than Beijing, 19% higher than Athens, the Last European Olympics.
- Last night featured the Men’s 4×100 freestyle relay (U.S. silver medal), the women’s 100m butterfly (Dana Vollmer – gold medal and world record), the first U.S. diving medal in 12 years and the women’s gymnastics all-around qualifying. The overnight rating is 2% higher than the first night of competition for the opening Sunday night of the 2008 Beijing Olympics (21.3/35), when Michael Phelps won the second of his eight gold medals in the 4×100 freestyle relay.Due to time zone differences, last night’s coverage was shown on delay in primetime but live on NBCOlympics.com. The first Sunday night in Beijing was live to the Eastern and Central time zones in the U.S.
- Last night’s overnight is 19% higher than the first Sunday night of competition at the 2004 Athens Games (18.3/29), the last European Olympics.
OVERNIGHTS FOR FIRST SUNDAY NIGHT (NON-U.S. SUMMER GAMES):
1. London — 2012: 21.7/35 NBC
2. Beijing -– 2008: 21.3/35 NBC
3. Barcelona -– 1992: 20.9/36 NBC
4. Seoul -– 1988: 20.1/34 NBC
5. Athens -– 2004: 18.3/29 NBC
6. Sydney -– 2000: 17.4/27 NBCOVERNIGHTS FOR FIRST SUNDAY NIGHT (U.S. SUMMER GAMES):
1. Los Angeles -– 1984: 26.9/50 ABC
2. Atlanta -– 1996: 26.0/44 NBCTOP 20 METERED MARKETS FOR FIRST SUNDAY NIGHT:
1. Milwaukee: 28.4/44
2. Salt Lake City: 26.5/46
3. Kansas City: 25.3/40
4. San Diego: 25.2/44
5. Richmond: 25.1/39
6. Columbus: 25.0/40
7. Denver: 24.5/44
8. Norfolk: 24.3/37
9. Oklahoma City: 23.9/36
T10. Indianapolis: 23.6/38
T10. Minneapolis: 23.6/42
T12. Nashville: 23.5/37
T12. St. Louis: 23.5/38
14. Austin: 23.3/40
15. Ft. Myers: 23.0/39
16. West Palm Beach: 22.6/37
17. Albuquerque: 22.5/36
T18. Chicago: 22.2/38
T18. Washington D.C.: 22.2/40
20. San Francisco: 21.8/44HIGHEST RATED BY TIME ZONE (THROUGH THREE DAYS):
Mountain: 22.0/39
Pacific: 21.2/39
Central: 20.3/35
Eastern: 19.8/34
Great numbers for NBC. They’re laughing at the complaints. I know they are.
