Ratings and viewership for each primetime telecast of the Olympic Games dating back to 2002.
The most recent Olympics have done fairly well for NBC. The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics averaged a 13.8 rating in primetime — the third-lowest of the previous fifty years, but still up 13% from Turin in 2006 (12.2).
The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics averaged a 16.2 rating in primetime, up 8% from Athens in 2004 (15.0), and the highest rated non-U.S. Olympics since the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998 (16.3, CBS).
Ratings for the 2012 London Olympics are not expected to match Beijing. NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus has already described such a prospect as “unlikely” (USA Today, 7/25). In 2008, marquee events like swimming aired live in primetime in the Eastern and Central time zones. This year, all primetime coverage will air on tape delay.
In addition, all events will be available live online, which could further erode the primetime numbers.
Ratings/Viewership For Primetime Coverage of the Last Five Olympics
| Vancouver (2010) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Telecast | Rating | Viewers (000) |
| Fri., 2/12/10 | Opening Ceremony |
17.3
|
32,641
|
| Sat., 2/13/10 | Primetime coverage |
14.0
|
26,189
|
| Sun., 2/14/10 | Primetime coverage |
14.3
|
26,372
|
| Mon., 2/15/10 | Primetime coverage |
14.2
|
25,224
|
| Tue., 2/16/10 | Primetime coverage |
12.2
|
20,330
|
| Wed., 2/17/10 | Primetime coverage |
16.7
|
29,416
|
| Thu., 2/18/10 | Primetime coverage |
14.5
|
24,782
|
| Fri., 2/19/10 | Primetime coverage |
13.4
|
23,304
|
| Sat., 2/20/10 | Primetime coverage |
14.7
|
26,668
|
| Sun., 2/21/10 | Primetime coverage |
13.2
|
23,294
|
| Mon., 2/22/10 | Primetime coverage |
12.5
|
20,926
|
| Tue., 2/23/10 | Primetime coverage |
12.6
|
21,279
|
| Wed., 2/24/10 | Primetime coverage |
11.9
|
19,808
|
| Thu., 2/25/10 | Primetime coverage |
13.6
|
22,920
|
| Fri., 2/26/10 | Primetime coverage |
13.9
|
24,500
|
| Sat., 2/27/10 | Primetime coverage |
11.7
|
20,600
|
| Sun., 2/28/10 | Closing Ceremony |
12.1
|
21,400
|
| Beijing (2008) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Telecast | Rating | Viewers (000) |
| Fri, 8/8/08 | Opening Ceremony |
18.8
|
34,891
|
| Sat., 8/9/08 | Primetime coverage |
13.9
|
24,082
|
| Sun., 8/10/08 | Primetime coverage |
18.1
|
32,256
|
| Mon., 8/11/08 | Primetime coverage |
17.6
|
30,173
|
| Tue., 8/12/08 | Primetime coverage |
19.9
|
34,014
|
| Wed., 8/13/08 | Primetime coverage |
16.7
|
27,656
|
| Thu., 8/14/08 | Primetime coverage |
17.9
|
29,708
|
| Fri., 8/15/08 | Primetime coverage |
15.4
|
26,071
|
| Sat., 8/16/08 | Primetime coverage |
17.8
|
31,593
|
| Sun., 8/17/08 | Primetime coverage |
16.0
|
27,184
|
| Mon., 8/18/08 | Primetime coverage |
15.8
|
26,374
|
| Tue., 8/19/08 | Primetime coverage |
16.3
|
26,629
|
| Wed., 8/20/08 | Primetime coverage |
15.2
|
24,755
|
| Thu., 8/21/08 | Primetime coverage |
13.8
|
22,438
|
| Fri., 8/22/08 | Primetime coverage |
10.7
|
17,876
|
| Sat., 8/23/08 | Primetime coverage |
10.3
|
16,756
|
| Sun., 8/24/08 | Closing Ceremony |
12.3
|
20,577
|
| Turin (2006) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Telecast | Rating | Viewers (000) |
| Fri., 2/10/06 | Opening Ceremony |
12.8
|
22,174
|
| Sat., 2/11/06 | Primetime coverage |
13.5
|
23,239
|
| Sun., 2/12/06 | Primetime coverage |
13.3
|
23,224
|
| Mon., 2/13/06 | Primetime coverage |
12.8
|
21,069
|
| Tue., 2/14/06 | Primetime coverage |
11.3
|
18,405
|
| Wed., 2/15/06 | Primetime coverage |
11.3
|
17,867
|
| Thu., 2/16/06 | Primetime coverage |
11.9
|
19,378
|
| Fri., 2/17/06 | Primetime coverage |
11.2
|
18,928
|
| Sat., 2/18/06 | Primetime coverage |
11.3
|
19,673
|
| Sun., 2/19/06 | Primetime coverage |
11.6
|
19,238
|
| Mon., 2/20/06 | Primetime coverage |
13.6
|
22,482
|
| Tue., 2/21/06 | Primetime coverage |
15.5
|
25,079
|
| Wed., 2/22/06 | Primetime coverage |
10.0
|
16,007
|
| Thu., 2/23/06 | Primetime coverage |
15.8
|
25,723
|
| Fri., 2/24/06 | Primetime coverage |
9.7
|
15,932
|
| Sat., 2/25/06 | Primetime coverage |
9.7
|
16,544
|
| Sun., 2/26/06 | Closing Ceremony |
8.9
|
14,837
|
| Athens (2004) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Telecast | Rating | Viewers (000) |
| Fri., 8/13/04 | Opening Ceremony |
14.6
|
25,384
|
| Sat., 8/14/04 | Primetime coverage |
11.8
|
19,819
|
| Sun., 8/15/04 | Primetime coverage |
15.4
|
25,819
|
| Mon., 8/16/04 | Primetime coverage |
16.6
|
27,109
|
| Tue., 8/17/04 | Primetime coverage |
18.3
|
30,146
|
| Wed., 8/18/04 | Primetime coverage |
17.3
|
28,396
|
| Thu., 8/19/04 | Primetime coverage |
19.3
|
31,705
|
| Fri., 8/20/04 | Primetime coverage |
14.4
|
23,749
|
| Sat., 8/21/04 | Primetime coverage |
13.6
|
22,544
|
| Sun., 8/22/04 | Primetime coverage |
15.8
|
26,039
|
| Mon., 8/23/04 | Primetime coverage |
16.4
|
25,943
|
| Tue., 8/24/04 | Primetime coverage |
15.7
|
24,972
|
| Wed., 8/25/04 | Primetime coverage |
15.3
|
24,265
|
| Thu., 8/26/04 | Primetime coverage |
13.8
|
21,515
|
| Fri., 8/27/04 | Primetime coverage |
12.5
|
20,141
|
| Sat., 8/28/04 | Primetime coverage |
11.1
|
18,029
|
| Sun., 8/29/04 | Closing Ceremony |
11.9
|
19,563
|
| Salt Lake City (2002) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Telecast | Rating | Viewers (000) |
| Fri., 2/8/02 | Opening Ceremony |
25.5
|
45,562
|
| Sat., 2/9/02 | Primetime coverage |
17.1
|
29,409
|
| Sun., 2/10/02 | Primetime coverage |
17.6
|
30,201
|
| Mon., 2/11/02 | Primetime coverage |
19.6
|
31,528
|
| Tue., 2/12/02 | Primetime coverage |
18.5
|
29,762
|
| Wed., 2/13/02 | Primetime coverage |
17.5
|
27,425
|
| Thu., 2/14/02 | Primetime coverage |
17.6
|
28,183
|
| Fri., 2/15/02 | Primetime coverage |
15.8
|
25,883
|
| Sat., 2/16/02 | Primetime coverage |
14.0
|
24,116
|
| Sun., 2/17/02 | Primetime coverage |
17.1
|
28,413
|
| Mon., 2/18/02 | Primetime coverage |
17.1
|
26,482
|
| Tue., 2/19/02 | Primetime coverage |
22.3
|
36,739
|
| Wed., 2/20/02 | Primetime coverage |
19.5
|
31,979
|
| Thu., 2/21/02 | Primetime coverage |
26.8
|
43,311
|
| Fri., 2/22/02 | Primetime coverage |
17.7
|
29,157
|
| Sat., 2/23/02 | Primetime coverage |
15.7
|
27,071
|
| Sun., 2/24/02 | Closing Ceremony |
22.3
|
38,738
|
(Previous Olympic ratings/viewership from Media Life Magazine; additional information from USA Today)
