Opening Ceremonies Draw Higher Ratings Than Rio

By Jon Lafayette
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

NBC’s primetime presentation of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies drew a 16.9 overnight household ratings and 29 share, falling short of the Sochi games four years ago but topping the opening ceremonies from the Rio Summer Games in 2016.

The primetime viewership came despite NBC for the first time providing a live stream of the ceremonies earlier in the day. The overnight rating does not include live streaming viewers.

NBC’s viewership dominated the night, tripling the combined total for ABC, CBS and Fox.

Two years ago, the opening ceremonies for the Rio games drew a 16.5/30. The ceremonies from the Sochi games drew an 18.5/30 overnight four year ago.

Later today NBC will release Total Audience Delivery numbers that include more viewing sources. NBC has sold more than $900 million in advertising based on Total Audience Delivery.

Opening Ceremony viewership peaked from 9 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. when Team USA entered the stadium in the Parade of Nations.

Top markets were Salt Lake City with a 29.6/55; Denver, 27.4/51; San Diego, 25.1/49; Seattle 24.0/46 and Sacramento, 23.4/45.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.