Here’s the latest numbers dispatch from NBC. The Beijing games are still on pace to be the most watched Olympics ever, surpassing even the 1996 games hosted in Atlanta.
BEIJING -Aug. 17, 2008 -The Networks of NBC Universal have reached 185 million total viewers, on pace to be the most watched Olympics ever, even surpassing the Atlanta Games. Through eight days the total viewership for the Beijing Games has already surpassed the total viewership for the entire Torino, Nagano and Albertville Games. The 30.0 million average viewers in primetime and the 17.4 rating/30 share, each represent significant gains compared to Athens in 2004 and Thursday’s TAMi reached 101.4 Million.
- Through eight days NBCU has attracted 185 million total viewers, 14 million more than the first eight days for Athens (171 million) and five million more than the Atlanta Games (180 million) which was the most viewed television event in history. The eight-day total for these Games has already surpassed the final overall viewership for the Torino, Nagano and Albertville Games (184 million each).
- NBC’s Beijing Olympic eight-day average primetime viewership is 30.0 million, 13 percent ahead of Athens in 2004 (26.6 million). The national rating average of 17.4/30 is the best primetime rating through the first Friday for a Summer Olympics outside the U.S. since Barcelona in 1992 (18.7/36) and is a nine percent jump from Athens in 2004 (16.0/28).
- Friday night garnered 66 million total viewers in primetime and 25.6 million average viewers, nearly two million more than the comparable night in Athens (23.7). The night earned a 15.2 rating/28 share, which is a six percent increase (14.4/27).
NBCOLYMPICS.COM ON MSN DRAWS MORE VIDEO STREAMS AND PAGE VIEWS THAN ATHENS AND TORINO COMBINED: Through just eight days of the Beijing Games, NBCOlympics.com has already generated 628 million page views, 12% more than the combined totals for the entire 17 days of the Torino and Athens Games (561 million). The 31.1 million video streams on the site are nearly three times the combined Torino and Athens total of 10.8 million.
TAMI FOR THURSDAY: The TAMi (Total Audience Measurement Index) measures the 3600 hours of programming during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, including Television (P2+ reach), Online (Unique Users), Mobile (WAP unique users and Mobile VOD unique users) and TV VOD (unique users). Below is the TAMi measurement through Thursday, Aug. 14:
Thursday, Aug. 14: 101.4 million
TV: 93.6 million, ONLINE: 7.4 million, MOBILE: 508k, TV VOD: n/a
Wednesday, Aug. 13: 100.9 million
Tuesday, Aug. 12: 105.0 million
Monday, Aug. 11: 103.1 million
Sunday, Aug. 10: 113.0 million
Saturday, Aug. 9: 97.8 million
I'm getting chagrined with the coverage. One, I figured out tape-delay means only US victories get shown. So much for broadening our horizons. Watching the USA bb team win by 40 points is boring. Two: Since I refuse to unmute these broadcasts, I have to figure out obscure flags to guess the teams. TV has no problem defiling the Mona Lisa if possible with annoying graphics – why not throw us a bone with something besides i mm square blurry colored flags? The upshot is they've put me in a negative mood, and since its all about USA and Phelps, I predict and hope the ratings sink next week. After all, the US can't guarantee the outcome of track and feild without doping, like they can beach volleyball and the NBA and WNBA – uh, I mean " Olympic Basketball."