London Olympics Post 6th Straight Night of Viewership and Ratings Gains Over 2008 Beijing Games

Viewership is Most for the First Wednesday for any Non-U.S. Summer Olympics in 36 Years

34.8 Million Average Viewers and a 19.3/32 Household rating for the First 6 Nights of the London Olympics is Most for any Non-U.S. Summer Olympics in 36 Years

17.9 Household Rating Tops First Wednesday Night from Both Beijing and Athens

7.3 Million Watch NBC’s Daytime Show; 6.3 Million Tune in to Late Night

Last night’s coverage, which featured two more gold medals in the pool for the U.S. (Nathan Adrian in the 100m freestyle and the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay), and Danell Leyva taking bronze for the U.S. in the men’s gymnastics all-around, drew 30.8 million viewers, the most-watched first Wednesday of any non-U.S. Summer Olympics in 36 years (Montreal 1976).

• The average viewership of 30.8 million is 3.1 million more than the first Wednesday of the Beijing Olympics (27.7 million viewers), and 2.4 million more than the first Wednesday of the Athens Olympics (28.4 million viewers).
• Through the first Wednesday of the London Olympics, NBC is averaging 34.8 million viewers, the most of any non-U.S. Summer Olympics since the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The 34.8 million is 4.0 million more viewers than Beijing (30.8 million) and 8.6 million more than Athens (26.2 million).

Last night’s primetime coverage on NBC (8-11:26 p.m. ET/PT) earned a 17.9/30 national rating/share, seven percent higher than the first Wednesday night of the Beijing Olympics (16.7/28), and three percent higher than the first Wednesday night in Athens in 2004 (17.3/29), the last European Summer Olympics.

• The six-night average household rating of 19.3/32 is the highest for any non-U.S. Summer Olympics through the first Wednesday since the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The average rating is 10 percent higher than Beijing (17.6/30) and 23 percent higher than Athens (15.7/27).

NBC’S DAYTIME AND LATE NIGHT VIEWERSHIP SOARS:

• NBC’s daytime coverage yesterday drew and average 7.3 million viewers and a household rating/share of 5.2/15 (10 a.m.-5p.m. ET/PT). There is no direct comparison to any past Olympics.
  • For Beijing, the 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET/PT daytime program drew an average of 6.0 million viewers and had a household rating/share of 4.4/14.
  • In Athens, the 12:30-4 p.m. ET/PT program drew an average of 4.9 million viewers and had a household rating/share of 3.8/12.

• The late night program (12:40-1:25 a.m. ET/PT) drew 6.3 million viewers, 59% higher than the comparable night in Beijing (4.0 million). The household rating of 4.4/14 is 52% higher than the same night in Beijing (2.9/15).

SIX-NIGHT METERED MARKET AVERAGE:

NBCUniversal, presenting its 13^th Olympics, the most by any U.S. media company, will make an unprecedented 5,535 hours of the 2012 London Olympics coverage available across NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, Telemundo, NBCOlympics.com, two specialty channels, and the first-ever 3D platform, an unprecedented level that surpasses the coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics by nearly 2,000 hours.

For the full schedule of NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage, please go to: NBCOlympics.com

For press information, bios, photos and releases, please go to: NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com

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