NBC is combining two announcements in one press release. It’s a good news-bad news release and any good PR department will bury the bad news and that’s certainly the case here.
We’ll work with NBC and announce their good news first. The USA-Japan women’s football gold medal match on Thursday became the most watched event on NBC Sports Network in its history. You think NBC is happy about the audience finding NBC Sports Network for the Olympics? You can bet your pet peacock it is.
The average audience for the game was 4.35 million viewers and received a very good 2.74 household rating. On cable on a Thursday afternoon, that is very good. And online, the match was the most streamed event in Olympic history.
For NBC, it had a down night. NFL preseason games in several markets like Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee and San Diego, the Olympics on NBC saw a lower rating for Thursday, a 13.6 with a 23 share, down 1% for the second Thursday night of the Olympics in Beijing. Average viewership for the night was 22.9 million which actually beats Beijing by 500,000 viewers.
Here’s the press release.
Team USA Soccer Gold Medal Match Most-Watched Event in History of NBC Sports Network
Average of 4.35 Million Watch Team USA’s 2-1 Victory over Japan on NBC Sports Network
1.467 Million Video Streams for Team USA-Japan is Most-Streamed Event in Olympic History
More Than 210 Million Total Viewers for the London Olympics, Surpassed Total Viewership for Atlanta for 2nd Most-Watched Event in U.S. Television History
31.9 Million Average Viewership and 18.0 Household Rating for the First 14 Nights of the London Olympics is Most for any Non-U.S. Summer Olympics in 36 Years
22.9 Million Viewers in Primetime Last Night; 13th Time in 14 Nights that Primetime Viewership Topped Comparable Nights from the 2008 Beijing OlympicsLONDON – August 10, 2012 – Yesterday’s Team USA gold medal-winning soccer match against Japan drew 4.35 million viewers and had a national household rating of 2.74, the most-watched and highest-rated event ever on NBC Sports Network. Additionally, the match drew 1.467 million streams on NBCOlympics.com, the most-streamed event in Olympics history.
MOST-WATCHED EVENTS IN NBC SPORTS NETWORK HISTORY*
EVENT DATE VIEWERS 1. Team USA-Japan Soccer Gold Medal Match 8/9/12 4.350 million 2. NHL Stanley Cup Final Gm. 3: Flyers-Blackhawks 6/2/10 3.600 million 3. NHL Stanley Cup Final Gm. 4: Red Wings-Penguins 6/4/09 3.448 million 4. U.S. Men’s Basketball vs. Argentina 8/6/12 3.330 million 5. Olympics – Including Rowing Qualifying 7/28/12 3.140 million 6. NHL Stanley Cup Final Gm. 4: Flyers-Blackhawks 6/4/10 3.126 million 7. NHL Stanley Cup Final Gm. 3: Red Wings-Penguins 6/2/09 2.955 million 8. Team USA-Canada Semi-Final Soccer Match 8/6/12 2.918 million 9. NHL Stanley Cup Final Gm. 3: Canucks-Bruins 6/6/11 2.757 million 10. NHL Stanley Cup Final Gm. 4: Canucks-Bruins 6/8/11 2.714 million *NBC Sports Network was rebranded from VERSUS in Jan. 2012.
- With 1.467 million streams, the gold medal soccer match was the most-streamed event in Olympic history, topping the USA women’s gymnastics all-around gold medal (1.463 million) and Usain Bolt winning the 100m race (1.289 million).
LONDON OLYMPICS NOW THE 2nd MOST-WATCHED EVENT IN U.S. TELEVISION HISTORY: With 210.5 million total viewers, the total audience for the London Olympics surpassed the Atlanta Olympics (209 million) and now stands as the second most-watched event in U.S. television history behind only the Beijing Olympics (215 million).
THROUGH 14 NIGHTS IN PRIMETIME – BEST VIEWERSHIP AND HOUSEHOLD RATING FOR NON-U.S. SUMMER GAMES IN 36 YEARS:
Through the first 14 days, the London Olympics has averaged 31.9 million viewers in primetime, and a household rating of 18.0/30, making it the most-watched and highest-rated non-U.S. Summer Olympics since the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
- The 14-day average primetime viewership of 31.9 million viewers is 3.3 million more viewers than the first 14 nights from Beijing (28.6 million) and 6.2 million more than the first 14 nights from Athens (25.7 million).
- The 14-night average household rating of 18.0/30 is 7% higher than the first 14 nights from Beijing (16.8/29), and 15% higher than the first 14 nights from Athens (15.6/27), the last European Summer Olympics.
Last night’s primetime coverage of the London Olympics on NBC drew an average of 22.9 million viewers, the most-watched second Thursday for non-U.S. Summer Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics (23.7 million). Last night marked the 13th time in 14 nights that the average viewership for the London Olympics surpassed the Beijing Olympics.
Last night’s coverage, which featured Ashton Eaton winning the gold medal in the decathlon, and Usain Bolt winning gold in the 200m for the second consecutive Olympics, drew 22.9 million viewers, topping the comparable night from the Beijing Olympics (22.4 million) and the Athens Olympics (21.5 million).
Last night’s primetime coverage on NBC (8-11:11 p.m. ET/PT) earned a 13.6/23 national rating/share, just 1% off the comparable night from Beijing (13.8/23), and Athens (13.8/24), the last European Olympics.
# # #
14-DAY METERED MARKET AVERAGE (ALL 56 METERED MARKETS):
1. Salt Lake City — 26.0/46
2. Kansas City — 23.9/39
3. Milwaukee — 23.4/39
4. Denver — 23.1/43
5. Columbus, OH — 22.9/38
6. Norfolk – 22.4/34
7. Indianapolis — 22.0/37
8. San Diego — 21.8/38
9. Richmond — 21.6/34
10. West Palm Beach — 21.4/35
11. Albuquerque-Santa Fe — 21.2/35
12. Minneapolis-St. Paul — 20.9/40
13. Portland — 20.8/43
T14. Sacramento-Stockton — 20.6/38
T14. Oklahoma City — 20.6/33
T16. Washington, D.C. — 20.5/37
T16. Austin — 20.5/36
T16. Ft. Myers-Naples — 20.5/36
T19. Atlanta — 20.4/33
T19. Nashville — 20.4/32
21. San Francisco — 20.3/40
22. St. Louis — 20.1/33
23. Los Angeles — 19.4/36
24. New Orleans — 19.3/27
T25. Chicago — 19.2/33
T25. Tulsa — 19.2/30
27. Phoenix — 19.1/32
T28. Cleveland — 19.0/32
T28. Jacksonville — 19.0/30
30. Greensboro-High Point — 18.9/30
T31. New York — 18.8/32
T31. Knoxville — 18.8/30
33. Seattle-Tacoma — 18.7/38
34. Louisville — 18.6/31
T35. Orlando-Daytona Beach — 18.5/32
T35. Cincinnati– 18.5/31
37. Philadelphia — 18.4/30
38. Dallas-Ft. Worth — 18.3/32
T39. Detroit — 18.2/30
T39. Baltimore — 18.2/30
41. San Antonio — 18.0/28
T42. Pittsburgh — 17.9/31
T42. Memphis — 17.9/27
44. Houston — 17.6/30
45. Boston — 17.5/33
T46. Birmingham — 17.4/26
T46. Buffalo — 17.4/30
T48. Hartford-New Haven — 17.2/29
T48. Greenville-Spartanburg — 17.2/27
T48. Las Vegas — 17.2/29
51. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale — 16.7/27
T52. Tampa-St. Petersburg — 16.5/30
T52. Providence-New Bedford — 16.5/28
54. Dayton — 16.3/27
55. Raleigh-Durham — 15.7/25
56. Charlotte — 14.5/25HIGHEST RATED BY TIME ZONE (THROUGH 14 DAYS):
Mountain — 21.2/37
Pacific — 19.8/37
Central — 19.5/33
Eastern — 18.6/31
And that will do it.
