Over 92 million people caught part of Saturday's coverage. It's definitely the peacock network's day in the sun and I can't say I fault it for wanting to puff it's feathers out. So far 114 million people have watched at least some of the olympic coverage. That means more than 40% or two out of five people over the age of two have caught at least some of the coverage. Here's the full NBC press release with more data:
NBC's BEIJING OLYMPICS ON PACE TO BE MOST WATCHED OLYMPICS IN HISTORY WITH 114 MILLION VIEWERS
BEIJING -Aug. 10, 2008 -NBC Universal's Beijing Olympics coverage is on pace to be the MOST WATCHED OLYMPICS IN HISTORY. Through two days NBCU has attracted a record 114 million total viewers - four million more than Atlanta in 1996 - the most watched Olympics in history and nearly 20 million more than Athens (95 million), according to data provided Nielsen Media Research.
- Saturday's coverage on the Networks of NBC Universal reached 92 million total viewers, 14 million ahead of the comparable Saturday from Athens in 2004 (78 million).
- NBC's Beijing Olympic two-day average viewership is 29.1 million and the national rating average of 16.2/30 is the best primetime rating through the first Saturday for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics since Montreal in 1976 (22.1/46) and a 22 percent jump from Athens in 2004 (13.3/25).
- Saturday night's 24.1 million average viewers bested Athens by nearly 4.5 million viewers (19.8) and earned a rating of 13.9 rating/27 share, an 18 percent jump from Athens in 2004 (11.8/23).
- NBC's LIVE primetime coverage, which included Michael Phelps collecting his first Beijing gold medal and seventh career Olympic gold medal in the 400m Individual Medley, and Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh winning their first match in Beach Volleyball, peaked with a 16.4/30 and 28.7 million average viewers in the 10 p.m. half hour.
MORE PHELPS IN PRIMETIME ON NBC:
"PHELPS IS TIGER [WOODS] IN A SPEEDO." - NBC's Dan Hicks:
Monday will be another busy day for Michael Phelps, and it's all LIVE in primetime on NBC. First, he'll swim for what could be his record-tying ninth career Olympic gold medal and third gold medal of the Beijing Games in an event he dominates, the 200m freestyle. Less than an hour later, the semifinal in another Phelps-dominated event, the 200m butterfly.
Then on Tuesday on NBC LIVE in primetime, Michael Phelps could become the greatest Olympian of all-time, swimming in two gold medal finals - the 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay. It is the only night where he could potentially win two gold medals - and he set world records and won both swims at the 2007 World Championships. This could be the night when Phelps breaks the all-time record for career gold medals, which is currently nine and shared by four athletes, including USA's Carl Lewis and Mark Spitz.
NBCOLYMPICS.COM ROLLS:
NBCOlympics.com followed up its record day on 8/8/08 with another enormous day of traffic. On Saturday (traditionally the lowest trafficked day of the week), the site garnered 62.7 million page views an increase of 475 percent from the opening day of competition of the Athens Games in 2006 (10.9 million).
- Through two days NBCOlympics.com has totaled 132.6 million page views compared to 17.9 million page views for the first two days of the Athens Games an increase of 641 percent.
- NBCOlympics.com registered 3.1 million video streams yesterday. By comparison, in Athens, the first day of competition received 115,014 video streams.
- 4.83 million unique users logged onto NBCOlympics.com yesterday an increase from the 4.21 million for 8/8/08 and nearly six times the unique users from the first day of competition in Athens (816,609 million).
NBC Universal, broadcasting its record 11th Olympics and surpassing ABC for the most Olympics broadcast by any network, will present an unprecedented 3,600 hours of Beijing Olympic Games coverage, the most ambitious single media project in history featuring the most live coverage (nearly 2,900 live hours in total), across the most platforms, of any Summer Olympics in history.
What is it with the massive upswing in viewership of the Olympics? I can understand a fairly usual year-to-year increase (populations do climb after all) but this is downright crazy.
Is it the higher publicity due to the controversies (people watching waiting for a disaster)? Smarter scheduling on NBC Universal’s part? Plastering the Olympics on something like 8 cable channels? More prominent Olympic athletes? Or are we just happy to be able to watch something that isn’t either reality TV or about the presidential campaign?
Personally, I think its all of the above. NBC, helped by the controversies, created a perfect ratings storm. And to think there were (and to some extent still are) rumors that GE was gonna try to sell its share of NBC Universal
What is it with the massive upswing in viewership of the Olympics? I can understand a fairly usual year-to-year increase (populations do climb after all) but this is downright crazy.
Is it the higher publicity due to the controversies (people watching waiting for a disaster)? Smarter scheduling on NBC Universal’s part? Plastering the Olympics on something like 8 cable channels? More prominent Olympic athletes? Or are we just happy to be able to watch something that isn’t either reality TV or about the presidential campaign?
Personally, I think its all of the above. NBC, helped by the controversies, created a perfect ratings storm. And to think there were (and to some extent still are) rumors that GE was gonna try to sell its share of NBC Universal
Chris,
My theory is that on top of the Phelps and other stories, the setting of China is a big part of the draw.
In todays Womens road bike race, they featured them going through the Square and a large part in and around the Great Wall.
Plus it doesn’t hurt (NBCU) that the economy is in a flux and more people are staying home for their entertainment.
Chris,
My theory is that on top of the Phelps and other stories, the setting of China is a big part of the draw.
In todays Womens road bike race, they featured them going through the Square and a large part in and around the Great Wall.
Plus it doesn’t hurt (NBCU) that the economy is in a flux and more people are staying home for their entertainment.
i haven’t seen any. must be something wrong with me.
i haven’t seen any. must be something wrong with me.
Tom, nope, you’re still in the mainstream really with ~60% of people over the age of two not seeing any either. For now, it’s the people who have watched any of them that are in the minority. Still, all things considered incredible numbers
Tom, nope, you’re still in the mainstream really with ~60% of people over the age of two not seeing any either. For now, it’s the people who have watched any of them that are in the minority. Still, all things considered incredible numbers
WOW! these Olympics are on record pace to be the most watched in history. Saturday night does have an audience and it needs to be utilized for scripted shows by the networks in the future.
Michael Phelps is a ratings and record holder beast. A 16.6 and 30 million viewers at one point.
Imagine how Sunday’s ratings will be with Michael Phelps and Women’s Gymnastics this time.
People forget its track and field that will have to prove themselves after the scandals. I’m watching regardless.
WOW! these Olympics are on record pace to be the most watched in history. Saturday night does have an audience and it needs to be utilized for scripted shows by the networks in the future.
Michael Phelps is a ratings and record holder beast. A 16.6 and 30 million viewers at one point.
Imagine how Sunday’s ratings will be with Michael Phelps and Women’s Gymnastics this time.
People forget its track and field that will have to prove themselves after the scandals. I’m watching regardless.
TVa, I agree with your analysis. Setting + economy are big factors. Having so many outlets on cable airing content helps as well, though the other broadcast nets (save perhaps CBS) would have been able to do similar multicasting.
One thing I find frustrating is the way the press release states that “Saturday’s coverage on the Networks of NBC Universal reached 92 million total viewers” rather than giving the “total audience” (viewers who watched 6 or more minutes) for NBC itself. We do not even know if the 24.1 million average viewers for Saturday is for NBC or the Networks of NBC Universal, do we? The only comparison is to Athens, when NBC Universal had coverage on its many cable outlets.
I assume that the “total audience” given for Friday’s opening ceremonies were just for NBC, because otherwise the comparisons to earlier opening ceremonies would be pointless. Notice that this latest press release never mentions “total audience,” instead using the term “total viewers.” Is NBC using the two interchangeably?
Basically, I am curious to know if NBC is (rightly) promoting the best numbers it has — those for its entire broadcast and cable universe — rather than for the NBC network alone…
Spacerangers: we do know for sure that the 24.1 million average viewers was for Saturday night primetime (8p-11p) just for the NBC broadcast network. I make the same assumption as you about Friday’s total audience #s just being for NBC (though not just for primetime).
Spacerangers: we do know for sure that the 24.1 million average viewers was for Saturday night primetime (8p-11p) just for the NBC broadcast network. I make the same assumption as you about Friday’s total audience #s just being for NBC (though not just for primetime).
Interesting. I would think that NBC’s numbers could drop some during the track and field competitions, which will be on tape delay. I’m not looking forward to that, I’ll probably hear who won before I see it.
Interesting. I would think that NBC’s numbers could drop some during the track and field competitions, which will be on tape delay. I’m not looking forward to that, I’ll probably hear who won before I see it.
I don’t think they can lie about the Olympics ratings since they come from Nielsen.
These ratings only come from the prime time portion on NBC. I remember the NBC Universal ratings being released separately and they did not add up to the same amount for the 2004 prime time ratings. The ratings on USA and MSNBC were pretty good for them on Saturday this year.
I don’t think they can lie about the Olympics ratings since they come from Nielsen.
These ratings only come from the prime time portion on NBC. I remember the NBC Universal ratings being released separately and they did not add up to the same amount for the 2004 prime time ratings. The ratings on USA and MSNBC were pretty good for them on Saturday this year.
Tell the chick announcing the women’s diving to SHUT UP!
Tell the chick announcing synchronized swimming to SHUT UP!