NBCU reports huge ratings on linear, streaming for 2024 Summer Olympics

NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris delivered big viewership across both linear and streaming.

According to initial ratings analysis based on figures from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, the network scored a total audience delivery of 30.6 million viewers across its 2 to 5 p.m. and 8 to 11 p.m. blocks.

This figure represents live-plus-same day fast national figure of live viewership from 2-5 p.m. eastern and included NBC, Peacock, USA Network, E!, Paris Extra 1, Paris Extra 2 and additional NBCU digital platforms. Primetime viewership includes NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Paris Extra 1 and Paris Extra 2. 

That represented a growth of 82% over the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which aired in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic 

“Our NBCUniversal team matched the occasion of this transformative Paris Olympics, presenting peerless coverage in daytime and primetime across all platforms, including the NBC broadcast network, which once again was home to the most-watched night of television for 17 consecutive days,” said Mark Lazarus, chairman, NBCUniversal Media Group, in a statement.

Another big winner was streaming — with Peacock recording 23.5 billion minutes, a 40% increase from all prior Summer and Winter Olympics coverage combined, which had come in at 16.8 million minutes.

NBCU’s USA Network also finished as the top cable sports and entertainment network in total day and primetime viewership over the two weeks of competition.

Spanish-language coverage on Telemundo was up 26% over Tokyo and Universo saw a 138% increase, 3.1 billion minutes streamed on Telemundo for the. period ending Aug. 8, 2024, an increase of 18% over 2020’s total streaming figures.

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NBCU also announced key successes for its advertising partners, which delivered 30.6 million multiplatform viewers:

• +27% greater ad attention
• +44% greater message recall
• +14% higher brand search engagement
• +17% increased purchase intent

Other key figures from NBC’s Paris 2024 coverage:

• 7,000 total hours of coverage
• 329 events aired on linear TV
• 152 consecutive Summer Olympics nights as primetime’s top show
• 3,000 staffers supported production in Paris and Connecticut
• Nearly 100 hours hosted by Mike Tirico
• Peacock offered up to 60 concurrent live event streams and up to 300 events a day
• Peacock streamed over 3,200 events total
• More than 25% of viewers used the streamer’s multiview offering
• 497% increase in social video viewership over the Tokyo Olympics and 566% over Rio 2016

Among U.S. metered markets, New Orleans, Louisiana, ended up performing the best, with a 18.9 rating and 23 share. West Palm Beach, Florida, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, tied for second with 18.5 and 25 and 27, while Dayton, Ohio, came in third with 17.5 and 25.