The penultimate night of competition at the Rio Summer Olympics hit a low in the metered markets.
Primetime coverage of the Rio Summer Olympics earned a 13.6 overnight rating on NBC Friday night, matching the first Saturday of competition as the lowest rated night of the Games. Overnights for the comparable nights of London in 2012 and Beijing in 2008 were not available. Versus the second Friday of the most recent Olympics, the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, overnights increased 44% from a 9.4.
Figures do not include concurrent primetime coverage on NBCSN, which pulled a 0.6 overnight.
NBC’s telecast was measured from just 9-10:30 PM ET — excluding the first full hour of coverage. The 90-minute window is easily the shortest of the Olympics.
Denver was Friday’s top market with an 18.5 rating, followed by Atlanta and Columbus, OH (15.2 each) and Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA (15.0 each). Salt Lake City, which had been the top Olympic market in 12 of the previous 14 nights, tied for seventh with a 14.7.
(Fri. numbers from NBC Sports)
