FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 17th, 2016

NBCSN’S EXTENDED PRIMETIME RIO OLYMPICS COVERAGE REGISTERS BEST 11-DAY STRETCH IN THE NETWORK’S HISTORY

Tuesday’s Total Audience Delivery Registers 25.6 Million Primetime Viewers

NBCSN Ranks #1 among Sports Cable Networks for its 11 Nights of Extended Primetime Rio Olympics Coverage

NBC’s 388% Primetime Adult 18-49 Rating Advantage over Other Networks Combined is Best in Olympic TV History

RIO DE JANEIRO – August 17, 2016 – NBC Olympics’ exclusive and unprecedented multi-platform coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics continues to dominate the competition.

NBCSN, the home of Team USA, has averaged 1.41 million viewers for its extended primetime coverage (7 p.m.-midnight ET) for the 11 days of Rio Olympic competition Saturday, Aug. 6 – Tuesday, Aug. 16 – accounting for the best 11-day primetime stretch in the network’s history, according to national data provided by The Nielsen Company.

In addition, NBCSN’s average viewership for its extended primetime coverage is No. 1 among all sports cable networks over that 11-day span.

Tuesday’s primetime Rio Olympics coverage posted a Total Audience Delivery average of 25.6 million viewers with a 15.2 household rating.

Last night’s NBC-only Rio Olympics coverage (8-11:04 p.m. ET/PT), featuring Simone Biles and Aly Raisman winning gold and silver, respectively, in the floor exercise on the final day of gymnastics competition, averaged 24.1 million viewers and posted a 14.3/25 household rating. Also in primetime on Monday, NBCSN’s live Olympics competition coverage averaged 1.21 million viewers.

Additional NBC Olympics metrics:

  • Among Adults 18-49, NBC’s 12-night 7.8 primetime rating in the demographic is nearly five times greater (388% above) than the other broadcast networks combined (1.6 on ABC, CBS and FOX) – the largest advantage in the first 12 days of any Olympics (on record).
  • After 12 days, the NBC-only average primetime viewership (27.2 million viewers) and household rating (15.2) have respective 198% and 263% advantages over ABC, CBS and FOX combined – the second-largest Games advantage on record (behind only the London Olympics).
  • Telemundo’s Olympics coverage, highlighted by the Women’s Soccer Semifinal match between Brazil and Sweden from 11:53am-2:49pm, averaged 394,000

NBC Olympics coverage on other channels and digital streaming has lifted primetime viewership each night (chart below).

Date Total Audience Delivery NBC-only viewership TAD Lift
Sat. 8/6 23.5 million 20.6 million 14%
Sun. 8/7 31.8 million 29.8 million 7%
Mon. 8/8 31.5 million 28.9 million 9%
Tues. 8/9 36.1 million 33.4 million 8%
Wed. 8/10 28.6 million 26.4 million 8%
Thur. 8/11 33.0 million 31.2 million 6%
Fri. 8/12 26.0 million 24.0 million 8%
Sat. 8/13 26.8 million 25.5 million 5%
Sun. 8/14 28.1 million 26.7 million 5%
Mon. 8/15 25.5 million 24.2 million 5%
Tues. 8/16 25.6 million 24.1 million 6%
Average 29.2 million 27.3 million 7%

NBC Olympics’ Total Audience Delivery measures broader Rio Olympics consumption by calculating average minute viewing across broadcast, cable, and digital. The 2016 Rio Olympics is the first in U.S. media history with live primetime Olympic coverage on channels other than the primary broadcast network. It is also the first time that the broadcast network coverage, including primetime, has been streamed simultaneously on digital platforms.

Through the 11 nights of competition, Total Audience Delivery for Rio 2016 and the 2012 London Olympics:

OLYMPICS TOTAL AUDIENCE DELIVERY

Day Rio 2016 London 2012* Rio 2016 London 2012*
1st Sat. 23.5 million 28.7 million 13.0 rating 15.8 rating
1st Sun. 31.8 million 36.0 million 17.3 rating 19.8 rating
1st Mon. 31.5 million 31.6 million 18.1 rating 18.0 rating
1st Tues 36.1 million 38.7 million 20.5 rating 21.8 rating
1st Wed 28.6 million 30.8 million 16.5 rating 17.9 rating
1st Thurs 33.0 million 36.8 million 18.9 rating 21.1 rating
1st Friday 26.0 million 28.5 million 15.0 rating 16.2 rating
Mid. Sat. 26.8 million 28.0 million 15.0 rating 15.9 rating
Mid. Sun. 28.1 million 31.3 million 15.8 rating 17.5 rating
2nd Mon. 25.5 million 26.6 million 14.9 rating 15.8 rating
2nd Tues. 25.6 million 30.1 million 14.3 rating 17.6 rating

*NOTE: The 2012 London Olympics had no simultaneous live streaming and no competing primetime Olympic cable coverage.

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR NBC TUESDAY PRIMETIME:

1. Salt Lake City 20.5/39
2. Denver 19.8/38
3. Austin 19.5/35
4. Columbus 18.7/31
5. Richmond 18.2/30
6. Minneapolis 18.1/33
7. Ft. Myers 17.8/29
8. Washington DC 17.7/34
9. San Diego 17.3/34
10. Indianapolis 17.1/30

About NBC Olympics

A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s Olympic Games coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. The London 2012 Olympic Games were watched by 217 million Americans across the networks of NBCUniversal, making it the most-watched event in U.S. television history.

–Rio 2016–