NBC Olympics said it would begin total audience delivery reports later this week measuring broader consumption. The TAD will measure broadcast, cable and digital/other consumption.
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Two nights in, NBC’s coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics remains a dominant ratings force. NBC delivered 20.7 million total prime-time viewers on Saturday, a 28 percent decline from the first Saturday night of London 2012 and a 14 percent decline from the first Saturday night of Beijing 2008.
It comes as the Wall Street Journal reported that NBC’s coverage pulled in 26.5m viewers on Friday night, the lowest figure since the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
The network also managed to enrage viewers with its “sexist” remarks about women sports fans and by cramming four advert breaks into the first 39 minutes.
NBC’s 5.9 primetime rating among adults 18-49 on Saturday night topped by 743 percent the other broadcast networks combined (0.7) – the largest advantage on record for any non-Super Bowl night.
Sunday’s Olympic coverage on the networks of NBCUniversal was watched by 93.2 million viewers (31.4% of the U.S. population) in 51.2 million homes (44.3% of U.S. TV households). Saturday’s full-day coverage (9 a.m. -midnight) averaged 1.8 million viewers – up 45 percent from the comparable day in 2012.
Bravo’s viewership peaked at 1.7 million with the doubles match upset of Venus and Serena Williams, the Nielsen company said.
· NBC Olympics’ 532 million live streaming minutes through Sunday is the best ever at this point in the Olympics, and up 186% from the same point in London 2012. A Saturday night hasn’t seen a broadcast network score such highs since, well, the last Olympics.
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Last night’s NBC primetime block featured men’s gymnastics qualifying round and swimming, which yielded three silver medals for the U.S. In 2012, the Day 1 lineup included the much-hyped faceoff between American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the 400 IM.
