The London Olympics are resonating with the American people. With no live action in primetime, NBC is still drawing a huge audience. Now remember four years ago in Communist China, swimming was live in primetime in the Eastern and Central time zones as were gymnastics, diving and other events.
In London, NBC is holding swimming and gymnastics for primetime although they are available online when they happen in the afternoon on the East Coast.
Well, Olympic primetime viewership on Sunday hit a new milestone with 36 million people viewing on average. The final rating was an astounding 19.8 with a 33 share. For the first Sunday four years ago in Beijing with live action, NBC saw a rating of 18.1/31. That’s a difference of 9% and just like the two previous nights, they’re the highest for a non-US Olympics.
And the three day average viewership is 35.8 million which is yet another record for a non-US Olympics. Amazing.
Now you know why NBC bid so much for the Olympics.
Here’s the press release.
NBC’S THREE-DAY AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP OF 35.8 MILLION IS BEST THROUGH THE FIRST WEEKEND OF ANY SUMMER OLYMPICS IN HISTORY
36.0 Million Average Viewers Last Night is Most for First Sunday for any Non-U.S. Summer Olympics in History (Since 1960)
The Average Viewership for Opening Ceremony (40.7 million) and Last Night (36.0 million) is Higher than ANY Night from the Beijing, Athens or Sydney Games
19.8/33 National Rating for First Sunday Night is 9% Higher than Beijing and 29% Higher than Athens; Best for Any Non-U.S. Summer Olympics in History
16.0 Million Watch NBC’s Afternoon Daytime Show; Nearly 7 Million Tune in to Late Night; 6 Million Watch Early Morning ShowLONDON – July 30, 2012 – Through the first three nights of the London Olympics, NBC is averaging 35.8 million viewers, the best through the first weekend for any Summer Olympics in history (since the 1960 Rome Olympics, the first televised Olympics), 1.4 million more than the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (34.4 million), and five million more viewers than 2008 Beijing Olympics (30.6 million).
Last night’s primetime coverage on NBC (7-11:14 p.m. ET/PT) drew 36.0 million viewers, the most for the first Sunday of a non-U.S. Summer Games in history. Last night’s viewership is more than three million more than the first Sunday night of the 2008 Beijing Olympics (32.3 million), and 10 million more than the first night of the 2004 Athens Olympics (25.8 million), the last European Summer Olympics.
- The average viewership for Opening Ceremony (40.7 million) and last night (36.0 million) is higher than ANY night from the Beijing, Athens or Sydney games.
Last night’s competition on NBC, which featured a silver medal for the U.S. in the 4x100m freestyle relay, a gold medal by Dana Vollmer in the women’s 100m butterfly and the preliminaries of the women’s gymnastics all-around, earned a 19.8/33 national rating/share, the best for the first Sunday for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics in history. The rating is nine percent higher than the first Sunday night of the Beijing Olympics (18.1/31), which featured live coverage of Phelps’ second of his eight gold medals.
- Last night’s national rating of 19.8/33 is also 29 percent higher than the first Sunday night in Athens in 2004 (15.4/26), the last European Summer Olympics.
- The three-night average household rating of 19.2/33, is 12 percent higher than Beijing (17.1/31) and 36 percent higher than Athens (14.1/26).
FIRST WEEKEND AVERAGE VIEWERS FOR NON-U.S. SUMMER GAMES:
1. London – 2012: 35.8 Million, NBC
2. Atlanta – 1996: 34.4 Million, NBC
3. Beijing – 2008: 30.6 Million, NBC
4. Barcelona – 1992: 27.0 Million, NBC
5. Seoul – 1988: 24.4 Million, NBC
6. Athens – 2004: 24.0 Million, NBC
7. Sydney – 2000: 23.9 Million, NBCNBC’S DAYTIME AND LATE NIGHT VIEWERSHIP SOARS:
- 9:51 a.m.-Noon ET/PT averaged 12.7 million viewers, an increase of 8% over the first Sunday morning at the Beijing Games (11.7 million from 10 a.m.-Noon). The household rating in this time period (8.2/22) is 6% higher than the comparable morning from Beijing (7.7/21).
- The Noon-6 p.m. ET/PT window drew 16.0 million viewers and a household rating of 9.9/22, an increase of 13% and 11%, respectively vs. Beijing Games.
- The early-morning window (7-9:51 a.m. ET/PT) drew 6.0 million viewers and had a household rating of 4.3/16. There is no comparable coverage for this time period in previous Games.
- The late night program (12:35-1:22 a.m. ET/PT) drew 6.9 million viewers and a household rating of 4.6/15, an increase of 41% and 31%, respectively vs. Beijing Games.
THREE-DAY METERED MARKET AVERAGE:
1. Salt Lake City — 25.8/47
2. San Diego — 25.4/45
T3. Kansas City — 24.3/42
T3. Milwaukee — 24.3/42
5. Denver — 24.0/46
6. Columbus — 23.9/41
7. Norfolk — 23.2/37
8. Richmond — 23.1/38
9. Indianapolis — 23.0/41
10. Ft. Myers — 22.8/41
11. West Palm Beach — 22.6/38
12. Washington — 22.5/41
T13. Oklahoma City — 22.4/36
T13. Sacramento — 22.4/42
15. Nashville — 22.1/36
16. Austin — 21.9/40
17. Boston — 21.7/39
18. St. Louis — 21.6/37
T19. Portland — 21.3/44
T19. Seattle — 21.3/42HIGHEST RATED BY TIME ZONE (THROUGH THREE DAYS):
Mountain — 22.0/39
Pacific — 21.2/40
Central — 20.3/35
Eastern — 19.8/34
That’s all.
