From the department of redundancy department, the Olympics posted another decline in the metered markets.
Primetime coverage of the Rio Summer Olympics earned a 14.4 overnight rating on NBC Wednesday night, down 24% from London in 2012 (18.6). Overnights for Beijing in 2008 were not available. Versus the comparable night of the most recent Olympics, the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, overnights increased just 8% from a 13.3.
Figures do not include concurrent primetime coverage on NBCSN, which pulled a 0.9 overnight.
Wednesday’s 14.4 overnight is the second-lowest of the Rio Olympics, ahead of only the first Saturday (13.6). Overnights have fallen below the 17.0 mark in five of the past six nights, compared to just two of the previous six. It is common for the second week of the Summer Olympics to decline from the first, especially once both swimming and gymnastics have concluded.
Salt Lake City led all markets with an 18.4 rating, marking the 11th time in 13 nights that it has topped the charts. Denver was second with a 17.8, and West Palm Beach, FL (16.7), Columbus, OH (16.1) and Austin, TX (15.9) rounded out the top five.
(Wed. numbers from NBC Sports)
