Big audiences for sporting events on Monday nights are nothing new, but while some viewers may have tuned into Monday Night Football last night, the vast majority of eyeballs were glued to the Olympics.
NBC drew a 17.4/28 final rating with 29.1 million viewers for coverage of the Olympics on Monday night, up 5% and 10% from a 16.6/27 and 27.1 million in 2004. The 17.4 also marks a 26% jump from a 13.8 for the fourth night of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Ratings peaked with a 20.1/31 and 34.4 million viewers in the 10:00 PM half-hour.
Through four nights, NBC is averaging a 17.1/30 rating for its coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, up 16% from a 14.7 for the first four nights of the 2004 Athens Games and 19% from a 14.4 for the first four nights of the 2000 Sydney Games.
