The 2010 Vancouver Olympics continues to pace well ahead of 2006.
Coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics drew a 13.4/23 rating and 23.3 million viewers on NBC Friday night, up 20% in ratings and 23% in viewership from the comparable night in ’06 (Turin; 11.2/19, 18.9 mil), but down 15% and 10%, respectively, from the comparable night in ’02 (Salt Lake City; 15.8/27, 25.9 mil).
Versus the comparable night of the ’98 Nagano Olympics, the telecast was down 10% from a 14.8/26.
Friday’s telecast ranks as the second-lowest rated, second-least viewed primetime window of these Olympics, ahead of only coverage on Tuesday night (12.2/19, 20.3 mil). No other primetime windows have drawn less than a 14.0 rating.
Denver was the top rated market, with a 22.4/38. Salt Lake City (21.7/38), Milwaukee (19.5/31), Minneapolis (19.4/35) and West Palm Beach (19.3/29) made up the rest of the top five.
Through Friday, NBC is averaging a 14.7/24 rating and 26.2 million viewers for coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics, up 20% and 27%, respectively, from 2006, and the most-viewed non-U.S. Olympics through eight nights since Lillehammer in ’94 (38.3 mil).
