Though still no match for 2012 (even including cable and streaming viewership), the Rio Olympics delivered one of the largest TV audiences of the year on NBC.
Primetime coverage of the Rio Summer Olympics earned an 18.9 final rating and 33.4 million viewers on NBC Tuesday night, down 13% in ratings and 14% in viewership from London in 2012 (21.8, 38.7M) and down 5% and 2%, respectively, from Beijing in 2008 (19.9, 34.0M). It should be noted that the 2012 telecast was — and still is — the highest rated night of the Summer Olympics since 1996.
Compared to the same night of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, ratings jumped 38% and viewership 41% from a 13.7 and 23.7 million.
All five primetime Olympic windows on NBC have declined from both London and Beijing. Despite the drop, Tuesday’s telecast ranks as the highest rated and most-watched sports-related program since the Super Bowl — surpassing the previous highs of 16.4 for Monday’s Olympic coverage and 31.0 million for Game 7 of the NBA Finals in June.
Including the live streaming audience on NBCOlympics.com and concurrent cable viewership on NBCSN (1.9M) and Bravo (414K), the NBC family of networks combined for a 20.5 rating and 36.1 million viewers — still trailing London but ahead of Beijing. Rio is the first Olympics in which primetime coverage has aired via live stream or on cable, and viewership on those platforms has boosted the primetime audience by 7-14% each night.
NBC’s figures are for 8-11:44 PM ET/PT, encompassing nearly all of a dramatic night of live swimming and taped women’s gymnastics. Headliners Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles each won gold medals, with Phelps’ victory coming after a day of build-up. The NBCSN and Bravo telecasts, which included the United States women’s soccer team and Serena Williams, were measured from 7 PM ET through Midnight and 10 PM, respectively.
Among adults 18-49, NBC had a 10.0 rating — down 22% from 2012 (12.8) and down 19% from 2008 (12.4). The 10.0 is the lowest for the first Tuesday of the Olympics since Sydney in 2000 (9.7).
NBC’s Summer Olympics coverage has averaged a 15.6 rating and 28.6 million viewers through five nights, down 20% in ratings and viewership from 2012 (19.5, 35.6M) and down 11% and 9%, respectively, from 2008 (17.8, 31.3M).
(Tue. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
