Olympics Ratings Trail 2014 Again, But Top 2010

Winter Olympics ratings continued to lag behind 2014 Tuesday night, but for the first time topped 2010.

Tuesday’s primetime Winter Olympics coverage earned an 11.8 rating and 20.5 million viewers on NBC, down 14% in ratings and viewership from 2014 (13.7, 23.7M). Versus the same night in 2010, ratings fell 3% (from 12.2) but viewership increased 1% (from 20.3M) — marking the first time NBC has topped any night of the Vancouver Games. Figures include primetime encores on the West Coast.

NBC’s primetime coverage is now divided between broadcast, cable and streaming. Including concurrent viewership on NBCSN (1.8M) and NBC’s digital platforms (321K), Tuesday’s primetime window had a 13.1 (-4%) and 22.6 million (-5%).

Even with cable and streaming included, all five nights of the Winter Olympics have trailed the comparable telecast four years ago. As mentioned before, Tuesday was the first time this year’s Olympics has topped 2010. Keep in mind the comparable 2010 telecast aired opposite a then-dominant “American Idol” on FOX.

Compared to the most recent Summer Olympics two years ago, which also featured primetime cable and streaming coverage, ratings fell 36% and viewership 37% from a combined 20.5 and 36.1 million.

Across NBC and NBCSN, viewership peaked at 28.2 million from 10-10:15 PM ET, the quarter-hour in which U.S. snowboarder Shaun White won a gold medal.

NBC’s telecast had a 5.2 rating in adults 18-49, down 14% from 2014 (6.6). Even with NBCSN’s 0.46 rating included, the demo still declined by double figures.

The Winter Olympics is now averaging a combined 13.1 rating and 23.6 million viewers in primetime, down 6% in ratings and viewership from 2014 (14.0, 25.1M) and down 10% and 11% respectively from 2010 (14.5, 26.4M). The averages are the lowest for any Olympics through the first Tuesday since Turin in 2006 (12.7, 21.6M).

The NBC-only average of 21.5 million falls below Turin as the lowest for any Olympics since at least 1992.

For the fifth time in six nights, Salt Lake City led all markets with a 24.8 rating — up 18% from the same night in 2014 (21.0). Denver was second at a 23.7 (+27%) with Kansas City (22.0, +29%), Minneapolis-St. Paul (21.0, -4%) and Milwaukee (20.9, +14%).

Seattle (20.1), San Diego (18.7), Richmond, Va. (18.5), Portland (18.1) and Austin, Tex. (17.8) rounded out the top ten.