NBC airs most-watched Summer Games opening ceremony on record

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

Highest-rated Friday night on any network in a decade

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.) is the most-watched for a Summer Games on record with 40.7 million average viewers, topping the Atlanta Games (39.8 million). Friday night's viewership is nearly 6 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.

"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," said NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus

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).

• Friday 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 the 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):

Non-U.S. Opening Ceremony National Rating (Summer Games)

Top 20 Metered Markets for Opening Ceremony: