Television
NBC Stands Atop the Podium Through First 21 Weeks of the Season
NBC’s coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics has led the network to its most dominant in-season week in the history of Nielsen’s current People Meter sample, which dates back to September 1987.
According to "live plus same day" viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research, NBC averaged a 5.5 rating, 16 share in adults 18-49 and 21.2 million viewers overall for the week of Feb. 10-16, giving NBC its best weekly averages in both categories since the week of Aug. 6-12, 2012 during the London Olympics.
NBC’s advantages over the No. 2 broadcast network in 18-49 (+293%, 5.5 rating vs. 1.4 for No. 2 Fox) and total viewers (+299 percent, 21.2 million vs. 5.3 million for No. 2 CBS) are NBC’s biggest for an in-season week in People Meter history and excluding Super Bowl weeks, are the biggest for any network in People Meter history.
NBC also beat the Big 4 competition combined by the biggest margins for any network, excluding Super Bowl weeks, in People Meter history.
NBC’s seven nights of Olympics coverage claimed the week’s top seven rankings among primetime programs on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures.
Through 21 weeks of the season, NBC ranks No. 1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key demos. It’s the first time NBC has ranked No. 1 this late in the season in 10 years (since the 2003-04 season).
NBC’s 3.1 rating in adults 18-49 is the net’s top average at this point in the season in six years (since a 3.2 in 2007-08). Versus one year ago, NBC is up 15 percent season to date in adults 18-49 (3.1 vs. 2.7).
Read the rest of NBC’s news release here.
