Through first week, London Olympics sets viewership records

Through 8 days, 189 million people have watched the Olympics on the networks of NBCUniversal

Through the first eight nights, the London Olympics has set viewership records on NBC. Each night of the 2012 London Olympics to-date has drawn 28.5 million viewers or more for the first time in the history of televised Summer Olympics (Rome 1960); 34.5 million average viewership through Friday night is the most for the first eight nights of any non-U.S. Summer Olympics in 36 years; the weekday daytime has posted the best viewership ever for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics (in Nielsen people meter history, 1987); and the late night show has posted the best viewership in 24 years, according to official national data provided by The Nielsen Company.

Beginning with the 40.7 million average viewership for the Opening Ceremony - the most-watched Opening Ceremony in televised Summer Olympics history - NBC has drawn at least 28.5 million viewers for each night in primetime. This marks the first time in the history of televised Summer Olympics that each of the first eight nights achieved such high viewership.

• Additionally, six nights of the London Olympics have drawn more than 30 million viewers, more than the entire 2008 Beijing Olympics (5) or 2004 Athens Olympics (2).

VIEWERSHIP FOR EACH NIGHT OF THE LONDON OLYMPICS TO DATE:

Through the first eight nights of the London Olympics, NBC is averaging 34.5 million viewers, the most of any non-U.S. Summer Olympics since the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The 34.5 million is 4.4 million more viewers than Beijing (30.1 million) and nearly eight million more than Athens (26.6 million).

PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP AND HOUSEHOLD RATING:

• Through eight days, 189 million people have watched the Olympics on the networks of NBCUniversal, 4 million more than Beijing through the same time period. The 2008 Beijing Games hold the record for the most-watched event in U.S. television history with 215 million viewers.

The eight-night average household rating of 19.2/32 is the best for any non-U.S. Summer Olympics since the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The 19.2/32 is 10 percent higher than the first eight nights from Beijing (17.4/30), and 20 percent higher than the first eight nights from Athens (16.0/28), the last European Summer Olympics.

DAYTIME:
NBC's five weekday daytime broadcasts have averaged 7.7 million viewers, the most for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics ever. The 7.7 million is 31 percent ahead of Beijing (5.9 million) and 38 percent higher than Athens (5.6 million).

During the first weekend of the London Olympics, the daytime afternoon show (noon-6 p.m.) averaged 15.4 million viewers, the daytime morning show (9:50 a.m.-noon) averaged 12.5 million viewers.

LATE NIGHT:
NBC's seven late night broadcasts have averaged 6.9 million viewers, the most for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics since Seoul in 1988 when much of the late night coverage included live competition. The 6.9 million viewers is 28 percent ahead of Beijing (5.4 million) and 30 percent higher than Athens (5.3 million).

FRIDAY, 8/3:
Friday night's coverage, which featured Michael Phelps' 21^st career Olympic medal (gold in the 100m butterfly), Missy Franklin winning gold in the 200m backstroke, and Katie Ledecky winning gold in the 800m freestyle, drew 28.5 million viewers, up 9 percent from the comparable night in Beijing (26.1 million) and up 20 percent from the comparable night in Athens (23.7 million), the last European Summer Olympics.

Friday night's primetime coverage on NBC (8:30-11:09 p.m.) earned a 16.2/29 national rating/share, 5 percent higher than the comparable night in Beijing (15.4/28), and 13 percent higher than the comparable night in Athens in 2004 (14.4/27).

EIGHT-NIGHT METERED MARKET AVERAGE:

NBCUniversal, presenting its 13^th 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, visit NBCOlympics.com.