• by Wayne Friedman , February 14, 2014

Eight nights of the Sochi Winter Olympics still have NBC trailing the Vancouver Games of 2012 -- but analysts point to the expected higher-rated figure skating events to come in the second week.

Total average prime-time viewers are now at 24.3 million, per Nielsen -- down 9% versus the same time frame of the Vancouver games. Among the key 18-49 viewer group, the news is a bit worse -- down 12% to an average 6.6 rating. That said, few if any competing TV network prime -time shows have been able to make a dent in the games so far.

On Thursday, the best-rated shows were a rerun of CBS’s “Big Bang Theory” (11.8 million total average viewers and an adults 18-49 2.8 rating/9 share) and an original episode of Fox’s “American Idol” (9.9 million viewers and a 2.9/9 among 18-49 viewers).

The night before, “Idol” posted an improved 11.4 million viewers and a 3.4/10 among 18-49 viewers. On Tuesday, a rerun of CBS’ “NCIS” offered up 9.6 million viewers and a 1.3/4 among key 18-49 viewers. On Monday, it was ABC’s “The Bachelor” with 7.8 million viewers and a 2.3/6.

Only Sunday night offered up much of a fight for NBC’s Winter Olympics. CBS found success with “The Beatles: The Night That Changes America - A Grammy Salute,” which earned 14 million total viewers and a 2.1/5 .