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As expected, Danny Boyle’s Olympics Opening Ceremony was a big ratings hit for the BBC last night, handily outperforming any other Games curtain-raiser in recent memory. The program captured an average 22.4M viewers and an 82.5% audience share. The average rating is the highest for the channel since 1998. Athens’ 2004 Opening Ceremony scored an average audience of 8.7M for a 41% share in primetime while the lauded Beijing opener in 2008 had a 51% share, but only 5.1M average viewers given it aired in the middle of the UK day. Last night’s opener began at 9pm local time and peaked for 5 minutes at 9:45pm with 26.9M tuning in to see Boyle’s Isles Of Wonder which featured a parachuting Queen, flying Mary Poppinses, a Mr Bean/Chariots Of Fire montage and a performance by Paul McCartney. The BBC’s most recent comparable 5-minute peak was 23.2M viewers during the England v Italy Euro 2012 match in June. Online viewing was 1M+, the BBC said.
Danny Boyle Scores 14-Year BBC Ratings High With London Olympics Opener
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I wish we Americans could watch the opening Olympic ceremony on BBC.
The incessant yapping by Meredith Viera, Matt Lauer and Bob Costas on NBC was like going to the theater or the movies and someone behind you kept talking and talking and talking.
Meredith was the worst of all. When the video clip of The Stones singing their hit ‘Satisfaction,’ she couldn’t control herself and broke into song.
Frank same here in Italy. I was watching the ceremony on Rai Uno and the constant chatting and yapping of the two male presenters was annoying and just ruined the show altogether. Not only where they describing what was exactly happening visually on screen (“Oh look that is Mary Poppins”, but they would anticipate what was going to happen next (since they have the schedule of events). I could hardly feel or hear the atmosphere at the stadium. They would even laugh at key comedic moments. Shut up!
Then again the BBC had Trevor Nelson so we weren’t much better off!
Uniquely beautiful. Wish Mick Jagger performed. Perhaps the closing ceremonies. Go USA ROWING!
It certainly had it’s moments but mostly it seemed like an incoherent mess of British cultural contributions and cliches. (And I love both Britain and British culture.) But the kids on the beds and all the Mary Poppinses and the skipping and frolicking and giant puppets and rock’n'roll – and that big giant baby – all seemed bizarre – like it was designed by a committee trying to please everybody instead of a single creative vision.
Fun viewing. HRH was magnificent. Long may she reign.
You know you’re in trouble when the parade of athletes is the highlight of a 4+ hour long snooze fest. What in incoherent mess! And I love Danny Boyles movies. But did we really need to see hundreds of out-of-work Brits rolling up grass? Or reminded of how depressing and grey the city of London is? Or how many of those smoke-stacks are still there?
Pageantry may trump artistry in the UK, but not in the rest of the world. What a let-down…
Watched it all. At one point I looked at my wife and remarked that it reminded me of the show Corky St. Claire put on in WAITING FOR GUFFMAN…she agreed. I actually liked the Guffman show better.
I was wracking my brain trying to think of what it reminded me of and you nailed it. I can hear Corky now, lisping “Giant baby? Well, I don’t have any Giant Baby in my show.”
Thanks NBC for immediately tarnishing and diluting the majesty of the Olympic experience with small minded/short sighted and manipulation WITHOUT any regard to your viewers.
Besides the withholding live broadcasting of the opening ceremonies, it seems like you’ve been watching too much American Idol or Dancing With The Stars. Who’ll be next to provide commentary??? Steve Tyler or Paula Abdul ?
Wonderfull wonderfull NBC
There is nowhere quite like it for cooling the blood, rage or patheticness.
Was there some sort of contractual obligation to mention Danny Boyle’s name 100 times during the opening ceremony?
Hats off to the BBC – great coverage and not too much talking! Danny Boyle is an absolute genius! As a Brit, I had moments where I was laughing my pants off, moments of confusion with the modern day multi media kids stuff and moments where I had tears in my eyes. Incredible industrial revolution scene. Overall there was something for everyone: inclusive games was what I saw and I felt proud on so many levels to be British and what the UK can be at it’s best. Great to see happy smiling faces and thousands of volunteers pulling their weight to make it happen. Well done to all involved. Hopefully we’ll get more medals than than last time! Good luck team GB!
So cute when Brits get sentimental.
Collective awwws heard round the world.