NBC averaged 28.23 million viewers for its all-Olympics prime-time schedule between August 8 and Sunday, according to live-plus-same-day figures released by Nielsen today. It was followed by an original episode of “Mistresses” which scored a 0.5 rating and 2.2 million viewers, which was up from last week’s total.
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The Games fell to their third-lowest viewership so far in Rio, with NBC averaging 24.3 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.
With more track and field and beach volleyball and the conclusion of USA gymnastics, NBC posted an overnight showing of a 16.4 rating among households.
NBC was crowing Tuesday that this, its seventh straight week at No. 1 in viewership, equals the network’s longest winning streak in 19 years. London 2012 was the first Olympics competition where the US broadcaster showed women more often than men.
The coverage of victories by Americans Simone Biles in the women’s gymnastics individual all-around and Michael Phelps in swimming’s 200-meter individual medley Thursday was second for the week, averaging 31.22 million viewers. The seven Olympic telecasts on NBC were the top seven primetime shows of the week on the Big 4 networks in each one of those categories.
The most-watched cable program was ESPN’s coverage of the Los Angeles Rams-Dallas Cowboys preseason game which averaged 3.21 million viewers, 30th overall.
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Primetime averages for the week of August 8-14 in adults 18-49 are: NBC, 8.1 rating, 29 share; CBS, 0.7/2; ABC, 0.6/2; Fox, 0.4/1; and CW, 0.3/1. Spanish-language networks Univision (with 1.6 million) and Telemundo (1.4 million) both topped Fox, which barely had a pulse with 1.2 million. The London games earned an average of 33 million viewers nightly.
