Gymnastics, Swimming Attract Two Largest TV Audiences For U.S. Olympic Trials Since 2000

An impressive run for the U.S. Olympic Trials culminated with a pair of twelve-year highs on Sunday night.

Coverage of the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics trials drew a 5.9 final rating and 10.021 million viewers on NBC Sunday night, up 51% in ratings and 59% in viewership from 2008 (3.9, 6.302M).

The telecast ranks as the most-viewed for the Olympic Trials in any sport since 2000 (7.2, 11.03M).

Sunday’s telecast ranked as the fourth-most viewed primetime program of the week on broadcast, and led the week in the key adults 18-49 demographic (3.3).

For some perspective, gymnastics coverage drew more viewers than the recent final round of the U.S. Open on NBC (9.633M) and ranks as the most-viewed sporting event on NBC since the race portion of The Kentucky Derby in May (14.8M).

Earlier Sunday night, coverage of the swimming trials drew a 4.8 final rating and 7.886 million viewers — up 20% and 22%, respectively, from the comparable telecast in 2008 (4.0, 6.49M), which took place on the final night of the trials.

The telecast ranks as the second-most viewed for the Olympic Trials since 2000, trailing only gymnastics coverage later in the night. In addition, the telecast ranks as the most-viewed for the swimming trials since at least 1988.

(Sunday’s numbers from NBC Sports Group via Fang’s Bites, TV By the Numbers)