Olympics Viewership Scores Cross-Platform

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After dipping a bit in viewership toward the end of the first week of its London Olympics coverage, NBC picked up the pace on Sunday night due to some big track events.

In prime time, NBC drew in a Nielsen average 31 million viewers, helped by featured Usain Bolt winning his second consecutive gold medal in the 100 meters,and Carmelita Jeter taking the gold medal in the 400 meters.

NBC says it was the best viewer-producing Sunday for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics since the Montreal Olympics in 1976, when that comparable Sunday hit 35 million. Overall, NBC continues to rack up big TV ratings -- as well as growing digital viewership -- for the London Olympics.

Among key 18-49 viewers, NBC averaged a 9.1 rating/26 share on the night -- easily beating the combined ratings of other networks. Fox scored a 1.2/3; CBS, 1.0/3; Univision, 0.9/3; and ABC, a 0.8/2.

For its "XXX Olympic Games" program from 8 to 11 p.m., NBC earned a 10.5 rating/27 share -- 14% higher versus the same night for the Beijing Olympics.

The first night of the London Games -- Friday's Opening Ceremonies -- pulled in about 41 million viewers. In the next few days, the numbers were nearly 29 million (Saturday); 36 million (Sunday); 31 million (Monday); 38 million (Tuesday); 31 million (Wednesday); 37 million (Thursday); 28 million (Friday); and 28 million (Saturday).

Through the first 10 days, the London Olympics has averaged a Nielsen 33.6 million viewers in prime time, which NBC says is the most for any non-U.S. Summer Olympics in 36 years. When looking at all TV viewership -- prime time and other dayparts -- the London Olympics is pulling in 28.0 million viewers after nine days.

NBC says the number of unique digital computer viewers remains high -- 39 million versus 37 million for Beijing. The mobile NBCOlympics app is pulling in 6.8 million unique viewers for London, versus 4.2 million for Beijing. NBC's Live Extra mobile app -- where all the live video, replay, and highlights resides -- has pulled in 8.7 million. users, up from 3.1 million in Beijing.

Looking at overall results, video and other content, all-around gold medal gymnastics champ, Gabby Douglas has taken in 18 million views, with now all-time Olympics medal winner swimmer Michael Phelps next at 11 million views.

NBC's "TV Everywhere" efforts, which allowed those with cable, satellite or telco monthly TV packages to see Olympic content online for free, has been verified at 7.6 million devices. There are some 100 million homes that get a multi-TV network/programming package.

NBC says visitors are spending more than 27 minutes per visit on the site  -- 118% ahead of Beijing. Total video streams are now at 102 million. Beijing had 75 million streams.

NBC executives, who were bracing for expected losses from the games amounting to $200 million or more -- similar to the losses from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics -- now say it could be close to breaking even, due to the soaring viewership and rush from TV marketers to buy into the Olympic coverage.

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