For the first time this year, Winter Olympics TV ratings outperformed 2014.
Tuesday’s primetime Winter Olympics coverage delivered a 10.3 rating and 17.5 million viewers on NBC, down 8% in ratings and viewership from 2014 (11.2, 18.9M) and down 18% from 2010 (12.6, 21.3M). Figures include primetime encores on the West Coast.
NBC’s primetime coverage now airs across broadcast, cable and streaming. Including concurrent viewership on NBCSN and NBC Sports digital platforms, Tuesday’s window increased 8% over 2014 to a 12.1 and 20.5 million.
Tuesday was the first night of the Olympics to earn a higher rating than in 2014, and the second to score a larger audience (coverage last Friday had a slight increase). In addition, it was the highest rated and most-watched night of the Games since the previous Tuesday (13.1, 22.6M) — snapping a streak of six straight nights with less than a 12.0 rating and 20 million viewers,
Versus the same night of the 2016 Summer Olympics, which also included primetime cable and streaming coverage, ratings and viewership fell 20% from a combined 15.2 and 25.6 million.
Across NBC and NBCSN, viewership peaked at 23.8 million from 9:30-9:45 PM ET — a quarter-hour that included Lindsey Vonn in alpine skiing on NBC and figure skating on NBCSN.
Tuesday’s improved performance had little effect on the overall averages. Primetime Winter Olympics coverage is now averaging an 11.9 rating and 21.1 million viewers across all NBC platforms — down 8% in ratings and 7% in viewership from 2014 (12.9, 22.7M). The 11.9 rating is the lowest at this point of any Olympics since at least 1992. The previous low was a 12.5 in 2006.
In viewership, the combined average is the lowest since 2006 (21.0M) and the NBC-only average of 18.8 million is the lowest since at least ’92.
Denver led all markets Tuesday night with a 21.5 rating, up 29% from 2014 (16.7). Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked second at a 21.1 (+19%) followed by Salt Lake City (20.9, +5%) and Kansas City (20.1, +26%). Albeit in a different order, the top four was exactly the same as in 2014.
Rounding out the top ten were Buffalo (18.6), Sacramento (18.5), Austin, Tex. (18.0), San Diego (17.8), Milwaukee (17.2) and Portland (17.1).
[Tues. numbers from NBC Sports PR 2.21]
