If the overnights are any indication, the final night of competition at the Rio Olympics set a record-low on NBC.
Primetime coverage of the Rio Summer Olympics earned a 10.6 overnight rating on NBC Saturday night, easily the lowest of the Games. Figures for the comparable nights of London in 2012 and Beijing in 2008 were not available. Versus the third Saturday of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, overnights increased 23% from an 8.6.
Figures do not include concurrent primetime coverage on USA Network, which scored a 0.5 overnight.
Through Thursday, final ratings for NBC’s primetime Olympic windows have declined between 14% and 16% from the overnight. That puts Saturday’s telecast on pace to finish with a final rating of 8.9 to 9.1. No primetime Summer Olympics telecast has ever earned a single-digit rating, with the current record low a 10.3 for the third Saturday of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Columbus, OH, led all markets for Saturday’s telecast with a 13.7 rating. Salt Lake City ranked second with a 13.0, marking just the fourth time in 16 days it has not been the top market. Ft. Myers, FL (12.5), West Palm Beach, FL (12.1) and Austin, TX (11.6) rounded out the top five.
(Sat. numbers from NBC Sports)
