So far, cable and streaming have been able to make up most of the shortfall in NBC’s Winter Olympics ratings, but the Games are still hovering at a 12-year low.
Monday’s primetime Winter Olympics coverage delivered an 11.5 rating and 20.3 million viewers on NBC, down 10% in ratings and 9% in viewership from 2014 (12.8, 22.4M) and down 19% and 20% respectively from 2010 (14.2, 25.2M). Figures include encore presentations on the West Coast.
NBC’s primetime coverage is now split between broadcast, cable and streaming. Including concurrent viewership on NBCSN (1.8M) and NBC Sports digital platforms (283K), Monday’s primetime window had a 12.7 (-1%) and 22.3 million (-0.4%).
While cable and streaming made up nearly all of the shortfall vs. 2014, the combined audience is still the lowest for the first Monday of any Olympics since 2006 (Turin: 21.1M). Compared to the same night of the 2016 Summer Olympics, which also featured primetime cable and streaming coverage, ratings fell 30% and viewership 29% from a combined 18.1 and 31.5 million.
Across NBC and NBCSN, viewership peaked at 26.9 million from 9:15-9:30 PM ET, the quarter-hour in which U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim won a gold medal.
In adults 18-49, Monday’s coverage had a 5.2 rating on NBC — down 20% from 2014 (6.5) and down 28% from 2010 (7.2). Even adding in NBCSN’s 0.58 in the demo, ratings still declined double-digits.
Despite the lower numbers, NBC alone beat the three other broadcast networks by 87% Monday night. That is the largest Monday night win for any network during the TV season since 1998.
After Salt Lake City took top honors the first four nights, Denver led all markets Monday with a 25.7 rating — up 32% from 2014 (19.5). Salt Lake City settled for second with a 23.0 (+6%). Kansas City (21.1), Milwaukee (20.2) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (19.6) rounded out the top five, a change of pace after Western markets dominated the top five in previous nights.
The West still made up most of the top ten, with Portland (18.6), Seattle, Sacramento and San Diego (17.9 in each) taking the next four spots. Austin, Tex. was tenth at a 17.8.
[Mon. numbers from NBC Sports PR 2.13]
