We can complain about tape delays, find pirated feeds, talk about it on Twitter, but when the ratings are all said and done, NBC can wave the ratings in our collective faces and say, “This is why the show was tape delayed!!”
Last night’s overnight ratings for the London Olympics Opening Ceremony was the highest non-US event. Ever. That’s right. It beat Beijing four years ago. It wasn’t even close.
NBC garnered a 23.0 rating with a 40 share. That beats the Opening Ceremony in Communist China by 7%.
The highest rated local market was San Diego which had to wait six hours after the ceremony began in London. In fact four of the ten top highest rated local markets were in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. So no matter what I or anyone says, NBC will continue the tape delay strategy for the Opening Ceremony.
Here’s the press release.
NBC HAS BEST OPENING CEREMONY OVERNIGHT RATING FOR NON-U.S. OLYMPICS EVER
23.0 Rating and 40 Share is 7% Higher than Beijing, 28% Higher than Athens and 24% Higher than Sydney
National ratings and viewership will be available later this afternoonLONDON – July 28, 2012 – NBC’s coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony from Olympic Stadium in London registered the best overnight rating (Winter or Summer) for a non-U.S. Olympic Opening Ceremony ever. The Opening Ceremony on NBC earned a 23.0 overnight rating and a 40 share (8-Midnight. ET/PT), according to data released today by The Nielsen Company.
Compared to Opening Ceremony overnight ratings for non-U.S. Olympics, the 23.0/40 is seven percent higher than the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics (21.5/37), 10 percent higher than the tabloid-fueled Lillehammer Games (21.0/34), and 15 percent higher than the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Vancouver Games (20.0/33).
NON-U.S. OPENING CEREMONY OVERNIGHT RATINGS:
1. London – 2012: 23.0/40 NBC
2. Beijing – 2008: 21.5/37 NBC
3. Lillehammer – 1994: 21.0/34 CBS
4. Vancouver – 2010: 20.0/33 NBC
5. Nagano – 1998: 18.6/30 CBS
6. Sydney – 2000: 18.5/32 NBC
7. Seoul – 1988: 18.3/33 NBC
8. Athens – 2004: 18.0/30 NBC
9. Sarajevo – 1984: 17.2/27 ABC
10. Calgary – 1988: 17.0/40 ABC
11. Barcelona – 1992: 16.5/32 NBC
12. Albertville – 1992: 16.0/26 CBS
13. Turin – 2006: 14.7/23 NBCOPENING CEREMONY OVERNIGHT RATINGS FOR U.S. GAMES:
1. Los Angeles – 1984: 29.5/55 ABC
2. Salt Lake City – 2002: 27.9/43 NBC
3. Atlanta – 1996: 27.2/47 NBCTOP 20 METERED MARKETS FOR OPENING CEREMONY:
1. San Diego — 27.8/49
T2. Washington D.C. — 26.8/48
T2. West Palm Beach — 26.8/48
4. Salt Lake City — 26.6/50
5. Denver — 26.4/51
6. Norfolk — 26.3/42
7. Sacramento — 25.4/47
T8. Kansas City — 25.0/44
T8. Richmond — 25.0/41
10. Columbus — 24.9/43
T11. Boston — 24.8/45
T11. Indianapolis — 24.8/45
13. Seattle — 24.4/48
14. Los Angeles — 24.2/44
15. Atlanta — 24.1/39
T16. Philadelphia — 24.0/40
T16. Jacksonville — 24.0/40
T18. Austin — 23.9/44
T18. Ft. Myers — 23.9/44
20. Portland — 23.8/48Jim Bell served as executive producer of NBC’s Opening Ceremony coverage; Bucky Gunts, director; Molly Solomon and Joe Gesue producers
The final numbers for Friday’s Opening Ceremony will be out later today.
