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NBC posts best opening Olympics ceremony ratings

By April MacIntyre Jul 28, 2012, 18:02 GMT

Olympics are underway EPA/Aniko Kovacs HUNGARY OUT

NBC’s coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony from Olympic Stadium in London registered the best overnight rating (Winter or Summer) for a non-U.S. Olympic Opening Ceremony ever.

The Opening Ceremony on NBC earned a 23.0 overnight rating and a 40 share (8-Midnight. ET/PT), according to data released today by The Nielsen Company.

From NBC

Compared to Opening Ceremony overnight ratings for non-U.S. Olympics, the 23.0/40 is seven percent higher than the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics (21.5/37), 10 percent higher than the tabloid-fueled Lillehammer Games (21.0/34), and 15 percent higher than the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Vancouver Games (20.0/33).

40.7 Million Average Viewers Tops Atlanta Opening Ceremony; Nearly 6 Million More than Beijing; and 15 Million More than Athens, the Last European Olympics

21.0/37 National Rating 12% Higher than Beijing and 44% Higher than Athens; is Best for Any Non-U.S. Summer Olympics Ever

In the more than 50 years of televised Olympics, NBC’s coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics (8 p.m. – 12:02 a.m. ET/PT) is the MOST-WATCHED for a Summer Games on record with 40.7 million average viewers, topping the Atlanta Games (39.8 million). Last night’s viewership is nearly six million more than the 2008 Beijing Olympics (34.9 million) and 15 million more than the 2004 Athens Olympics (25.4 million), the last European Olympics.

NBC SPORTS GROUP CHAIRMAN MARK LAZARUS: “This audience number for the London Opening Ceremony is a great early sign that our strategy of driving people to watch NBC in primetime is working. We look forward to the next 16 nights of compelling Olympic competition.”

The Opening Ceremony on NBC earned a 21.0/37 national rating/share, the best for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics ever, and the second best for a non-U.S. Games (Summer or Winter) in 36 years – since Innsbruck in 1976 (23.2/37).

    Last night’s Opening Ceremony national rating of 21.0/37 is 12 percent higher than Beijing in 2008 (18.8/34) and 44 percent higher than Athens in 2004 (14.6/27).

    The 21.7 rating for last night was the highest-rated Friday night on any network since the Opening Ceremony of the Salt Lake City Games (25.2 on Feb. 8, 2002).

OPENING CEREMONY AVERAGE VIEWERS (ALL SUMMER GAMES ON RECORD):

1. London – 2012
 

40.7 Million NBC

2. Atlanta – 1996
 

39.8 Million NBC

3. Beijing - 2008
 

34.9 Million NBC

4. Sydney – 2000
 

27.3 Million NBC

5. Athens – 2004
 

25.4 Million NBC

6. Seoul – 1988
 

22.7 Million NBC

7. Barcelona – 1992
 

21.6 Million NBC

NON-U.S. OPENING CEREMONY NATIONAL RATING (SUMMER GAMES)

1. London – 2012
 

21.0/37 NBC

2. Beijing – 2008
 

18.8/34 NBC

3. Rome – 1960
 

18.1/36 CBS

4. Sydney – 2000
 

16.2/29 NBC

5. Seoul – 1988
 

15.2/29 NBC

6. Athens – 2004
 

14.6/27 NBC

7. Barcelona – 1992
 

13.8/29 NBC

8. Montreal – 1976
 

11.1/39 ABC

9. Mexico City - 1968
 

8.8/34 ABC

10. Munich – 1972
 

6.5/28 ABC

11. Tokyo – 1964
 

5.6/14 ABC

TOP 20 METERED MARKETS FOR OPENING CEREMONY:

1. San Diego
 

27.8/49

T2. Washington D.C.
 

26.8/48

T2. West Palm Beach
 

26.8/48

4. Salt Lake City
 

26.6/50

5. Denver
 

26.4/51

6. Norfolk
 

26.3/42

7. Sacramento
 

25.4/47

T8. Kansas City
 

25.0/44

T8. Richmond
 

25.0/41

10. Columbus
 

24.9/43

T11. Boston
 

24.8/45

T11. Indianapolis
 

24.8/45

13. Seattle
 

24.4/48

14. Los Angeles
 

24.2/44

15. Atlanta
 

24.1/39

T16. Philadelphia
 

24.0/40

T16. Jacksonville
 

24.0/39

T18. Austin
 

23.9/44

T18. Ft. Myers
 

23.9/43

20. Portland
 

23.8/48

NON-U.S. OPENING CEREMONY OVERNIGHT RATINGS:

1. London - 2012
 

23.0/40 NBC

2. Beijing – 2008
 

21.5/37 NBC

3. Lillehammer – 1994
 

21.0/34 CBS

4. Vancouver – 2010
 

20.0/33 NBC

5. Nagano – 1998
 

18.6/30 CBS

6. Sydney – 2000
 

18.5/32 NBC

7. Seoul – 1988
 

18.3/33 NBC

8. Athens – 2004
 

18.0/30 NBC

9. Sarajevo – 1984
 

17.2/27 ABC

10. Calgary – 1988
 

17.0/40 ABC

11. Barcelona – 1992
 

16.5/32 NBC

12. Albertville – 1992
 

16.0/26 CBS

13. Torino – 2006
 

14.7/23 NBC

OPENING CEREMONY OVERNIGHT RATINGS FOR U.S. GAMES:

1. Los Angeles – 1984
 

29.5/55 ABC

2. Salt Lake City – 2002
 

27.9/43 NBC

3. Atlanta – 1996
 

27.2/47 NBC

TOP 20 METERED MARKETS FOR OPENING CEREMONY:

1. San Diego
 

27.8/49

T2. Washington D.C.
 

26.8/48

T2. West Palm Beach
 

26.8/48

4. Salt Lake City
 

26.6/50

5. Denver
 

26.4/51

6. Norfolk
 

26.3/42

7. Sacramento
 

25.4/47

T8. Kansas City
 

25.0/44

T8. Richmond
 

25.0/41

10. Columbus
 

24.9/43

T11. Boston
 

24.8/45

T11. Indianapolis
 

24.8/45

13. Seattle
 

24.4/48

14. Los Angeles
 

24.2/44

15. Atlanta
 

24.1/39

T16. Philadelphia
 

24.0/40

T16. Jacksonville
 

24.0/40

T18. Austin
 

23.9/44

T18. Ft. Myers
 

23.9/44

20. Portland
 

23.8/48

NBCUniversal, presenting its 13th Olympics, the most by any U.S. media company, will make an unprecedented 5,535 hours of the 2012 London Olympics coverage available across NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, Telemundo, NBCOlympics.com, two specialty channels, and the first-ever 3D platform, an unprecedented level that surpasses the coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics by nearly 2,000 hours.

For the full schedule of NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage, please go to: NBCOlympics.com