NBC records historic Olympic ratings triumph after slump

The GIST: NBC’s Olympic viewership is way up after a post-COVID slump deterred its Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 audiences — and so are the network’s spirits (and ratings). As Paris 2024 rolls on, the exclusive U.S. Olympic broadcast partner is learning to leverage its revamped linear and digital distribution. Playing Games.

Tokyo 2020: The last Summer Olympics — delayed a year because of COVID-19 — recorded its lowest-ever U.S. TV ratings, averaging only 15.6M viewers per night on NBC. Factors like local opposition and marquee star Simone Biles’ sudden exit worked against these Games, along with a general decline in linear viewing, which NBC streamer Peacock didn’t mitigate.

The changes: After fielding complaints about Peacock’s Olympic coverage in Tokyo, NBC expanded its broadcasting coverage and made the app a centralized Olympic hub. Peacock is airing over 5K hours of live content, which includes all 329 medal events, in addition to multiview options and whiparound coverage through Gold Zone (an Olympic version of the NFL RedZone).

• The network also leaned more heavily into a celebrity-driven marketing strategy, including a Megan Thee Stallion commercial, a hangout between Grammy-Award winner SZA and Biles, and utilizing Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav as NBC hype men. The Olympics, Hot Girl style.

The numbers: NBC viewership for Friday’s opening ceremony averaged 28.6M U.S. viewers, the highest for the event since 2012 and up 60% from 2021. On Saturday’s first full day of competition, 32.4M tuned in (up 83% from Tokyo), while Sunday’s Team USA men’s basketball opener averaged 10.9M viewers — more than the 9.3M that watched the team’s gold medal match in 2021.

• These numbers are on par with what NBC pulls for NFL games, the biggest cash cow in sports broadcasting. Last year, the network’s Sunday Night Football program was its most-watched primetime show for the 13th year running, averaging 21.4M fans.

The payoff: In a post-COVID world and a more preferable time zone for U.S. brands, marketers embraced Paris 2024 and spent a record $1.25B in ad sales for NBC. Plus, the network has been looking forward to LA 2028 — the first Summer Olympics on its home turf in 32 years — by selling Olympic media and sponsorship deals together since 2019. Let the games begin.