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–