UPDATE, 1:41 PM: It’s a Silver for London. The 2012 London Olympics are now the second most watched event in American TV history. The London Games have had a total audience of 210.5 million over the first 14 days. That audience across NBCUniversal’s networks of NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo and Bravo beats the 1996 Atlanta Olympics’ 209 million viewership but is still behind the 215 million who saw the 2008 Beijing Games. It was a combo of Silver and Gold for NBC’s primetime coverage of Thursday’s XXX Summer Games (13.6/23). In the end London just couldn’t beat Beijing in the ratings but they did beat 2008 in total viewers. Thursday’s primetime final numbers have London 1% down in the ratings from the comparable second Thursday of the 2008 Summer Olympics from China’s capitol. However, in terms of total viewers, NBC pulled in 22.9 million viewers overall last night, just a little bit more than the 22.4 million who watched the comparable night from 2008. And, as any Olympian will tell you, that little bit is the difference between Gold and Silver. Over on NBC Sports Network, the American Women’s team soccer Gold medal winning victory over Japan hit a viewership high for the channel. The game pulled in 4.35 million viewers, surpassing the July 2, 2010 Stanley Cup Final between the Philadelphia Flyer and the Chicago Blackhawks. That game had held the NBC Sports Network record with 3.60 million viewers. The Gold-winning soccer game did well online too, drawing 1.467 streams on NBCOlympics.com to become the most streamed event for this or any past Olympics. Over the 14 nights of the London Olympics, NBC has had an average of 31.9 million viewers overall and a primetime rating of 18.0/30. That’s the best for any non-U.S. Summer Olympics since the Montreal Games of 1976.
PREVIOUS, 8:51 AM: With 90 medals, Thursday saw the United States take a commanding lead at the XXX Summer Games (6.8/20) but in fast nationals, it also saw NBC’s primetime coverage take a fall. Fast nationals had the network’s 8 – 11 PM broadcast down 39% from last Thursday. Despite Usain Bolt’s historic 200 meters victory, plus the American Women’s Team won soccer Gold, Ashton Eaton’s Gold in decathlon and Claressa Shields winning the first women’s boxing Gold for the US in Olympic history, Thursday’s coverage of Day 13 of the London Games was also down 6% from the second Thursday of the 2008 Beijing Games. Still NBC did win the night among Adults 18-49 and in total viewers of 22.40 million.
There were other things on TV besides the Olympics but because of local market NFL pre-emptions, Fox, ABC and CBS fast national ratings are all inflated. Having said that most of the night was repeats but there were some other new things on TV. CBS had a new episode of Big Brother (2.1/6) at 9 PM. The reality show was up 5% over last week’s broadcast. After a repeat of Wipeout (1.6/5) at 8 PM, ABC had a new Wipeout (1.7/5) at 9 PM. That new airing scored big, up 21% from last week’s series low. Following was a new Rookie Blue (1.5/4), which was flat with the last airing two weeks ago. Earlier in the night CBS ran a repeat of The Big Bang Theory (1.8/6). That repeat was, with 6.90 million total viewers, the second most watched show on TV last night after the Olympics. CBS also ran a repeat of Two and a Half Men (1.7/5) and, after Big Brother, it aired an encore Person of Interest (1.1/3). Fox ran two episodes of Raising Hope, one at 8 PM (1.1/4) and one at 8:30 PM (1.1/3), followed by a Glee (1.0/3) repeat.
Deadline's Dominic Patten - tip him here.


The last update on Big Brother stated “Big Brother (1.8/6) was down 10% from last week to tie its series low.” Isn’t this useful context when you say Big Brother is “up”? (I can’t stand how the producers are screwing up the show this season with the reset and broadcasting the diary room accidentally into the house.)
Nowadays it is always the hottest month one record: the closest election in history: the greatest athlete ever: the highest rated television show since the dawn of man.
Not even close. Check how many watched the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Not to mention Charles & Diana’s wedding (one I skipped, but it was popular).
The half million that saw the moon landing was a world wide audience not a US audience. So you are not correct. My guess is that 911 coverage surpassed the olympics by a mile.
half billion I mean
Lebron #1?
Did you think more people are watching because nobody is working….
I thought the same thing
I watch the olympics because there is finally something worthwhile on TV!!!
The London Olympics have been awesome..even the commercials have been good….Congratulations to all the participants
Great comment, just last night after a number of good commercials-mostly, if not all, were new. Then it dawned on me and your comment confirmed it-across the board-good commercials.
Of course the games!!!
The only awesomeness with these 2012 Olympics have been the fantastic hard work of all the USA Olympians. And, guess what folks, these young men and women, their families and coaches did it with their own dedication, sacrifice and hard work. Thank you USA Olympians for the pride you bring back to the United States of America!!!!
As others have said, Apollo 11s landing and Neil and Buzz walking was watched by at least 600 million on Sunday evening, July 20th 1969. And that’s back when there were half as many people on the planet as now.
We are talking about US TV. Not the entire world. I am sure that 600 million Americans did not watch The Apollo 11 landing!!!!
What moon landing?
Are population is only 311+ million.
You are correct, 600 million Americans did not watch the Olympics.
the 600 million is a world wide count….not a US count…so when you learn to read, you might get it right. the coverage of 911 IMO was a bigger US audience though.
I’ve never watched so much Olympics. We have them on all day at my barber shop. Really have enjoyed them this time around.
NBC did a horrible job in the entire production and delivery; they should only allow professional, capable outfits bid on these types of events.
Could not agree with you more. It is time to give someone else the Olympics coverage……NBC is getting to complacent.
NBC’s coverage has been all flash and trash aimed at their middle class viewers. No wonder it got such high ratings. Sinking to the lowest common denominator.
I will never watch nbc for anything
screw nbc and their extreme liberal crap
NBC spews nothing but hate, liberalism, and Obama worship!!!! They did a horrible job on the Olympics. Let another real sports network do the next one and the one after that, etc. etc.
The first next most watched will be when they show Obama and his crooks leaving DC and going back to Chicago.
Dude get with the Drudge program…it’s CHICAGOLAND. Sounds much more menacing.
Did NBC do the poll? Thank god for being able to record and play back. I was able to find the half hour of viable programming out of 6 hours each day. The talking heads and all he political correct fillers would have put me over the edge if I had to listen through out… If it were not for playback and delete they would have the lowest rating.
i find this hard to believe. in the internet age, all i had to do was read online in the morning who won. No need to sit through the drawn out coverage on TV where they put the most popular events on at 10pm & peppered it with lengthy commercials. Why waste my time?
Of course, there’s nothing else on.
Of course, there’s nothing else on.
Am I missing something hope someone can explain this to me
Don’t understand this claim of London Olympic being the 2nd most watched when we still have 2 days of Olympics (uncounted)?!
As equally they could’ve count just the first day ratings and announce London 2012 as the least watched Olympics in the history.. hmm
Once again main stream media painting the picture with their own colors.
Of course NBC had a hand in the poll. With these results, think how much can be charged next time around for sponsors.
Frankly, I don’t buy it.
I happened to dine at a Mexican Restaurant today. They had the Olympics on, with the Mexican tv network. What a refreshing change to have non stop action, and no commercials!
It is unfortunate that I could not understand the commentators. But, being able to watch the games worked fine for me!
As usual, I really enjoyed the Olympics. I’ve always loved the Olympics, ever since I was a kid. Some people will always nit-pick and bitch about the coverage, as you can NEVER please EVERYONE. There are some sports I wish got more coverage, like Judo, but again, they CANNOT please everyone. It’s impossible !!I’m just always AMAZED and in AWE over the athletisism, the strength, the endurance, talent, etc., of the young men and women from all over the world, who compete in the Olympics. These young people are TRULY super human !! Looking forward to the next Olympics !
“the second most watched event in American TV history”
and beaten out for viewer numbers by Sponge Bob Square Pants.
The Olympics become repetitious, therefore somewhat boring after a while. There is very little else to watch. Reading a good book is far better entertainment.
Ditto!
so, hw many of you watched last nights first BORING hour of Tom Brokaw??? I want to see events in London THIS day not during WW II. I was really annoyed. DVRed the rest to fast forward thru’ the garbage.
Proud Americans! It’s a new day in America. That’s what the tea party is about. Proud of our fellow Americans–not jealous or envious. That pride goes to the person who is successful in athletics, or in business. God bless the USA!
Only 1.5 million more than the Atlanta games. That’s just the population growth.
Really folks, this is not something to brag about. 10 million maybe.
Gheezzz. Talk about media hype?
Strange since no one in my circle of friends and relatives watched more an maybe an hour of it.. nor did anyone they know..matter of fact we started calling everyone we knew and couldn’t find one person who watched the show for more than an hour..beginning to think that these ratings for how many people watched shows are made up by how much they are paid..Anyway… nice they are over and congratulations to all those who won
I think the people who watch the Olympics tend to be very conventional people. They are sports fans but they also have definite rooting interest in wanting the United States to win. They are not people who bet on sports either. I fit these categories and watched it very, very heavily. When I watched the Americans girls beating the Chinese in a tough beach volleyball match I was on the edge of my seat. If the same American girls play other American girls in a tournament in California next month I would not be nearly as interested. I feel very strongly that the level of patriotism that people claim will have a relationship to how heavily they watched the Olympics.
And the gals on the Czech beach volleyball team made watching all the more worthwhile. I hope they get their own reality TV series and I get to be in it!