Olympics

NBCUniversal Dominates With Most Robust Winter Games Presentation In History

Key Takeaways

NBC Olympics averages nearly 20 million primetime viewers over 18 nights.
Most dominant winter games on record – NBC-only primetime viewership beats combined broadcast networks by 82%.
NBC Sports digital coverage sets winter games records with 2.17 billion total streaming minutes & 1.85 billion live streaming minutes.

Stamford, CT

NBC Olympics’ exclusive coverage of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics was the most robust presentation of the Winter Games in media history…and NBCUniversal dominated the competition.

Among the highlights:

  • NBCUniversal presented a record 2,400+ hours of Winter Games coverage.
  • The PyeongChang Olympics helped solidify NBC’s rank as #1 in total viewers at any point during the TV season for the first time since it won the 2001-02 crown 16 years ago, according to Nielsen.
  • NBC Olympics averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of nearly 20 million viewers in primetime over 18 nights, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.
  • NBC Olympics’ presentation of the PyeongChang Olympics ranks as the most dominant Winter Games on record.
  • NBCSN hit major marks (details below).
  • NBC Sports Digital set Winter Games records for total and live streaming minutes.
  • Olympic coverage created major benefits for the NBCUniversal portfolio.

Mark Lazarus, Chairman of NBC Broadcasting and Sports: “These Winter Games are once again profitable for NBC Sports Group, and validate our investment in the Olympics. With the most comprehensive coverage plan in Winter Games history, our team of thousands took on this Olympic-sized undertaking from PyeongChang (2,000-plus), Stamford (1,000-plus), New York, Englewood Cliffs and Denver. The team’s collective performance allowed us to present an Olympics that was both engaging and memorable. At a time when there is more entertainment than ever for consumption, the Olympics offered an unmatched communal experience. We look forward to Tokyo and beyond.”

PyeongChang Olympics Are Most Dominant Winter Games Ever In Primetime:

From the opening night of coverage on Feb. 8, NBC Olympics produced the most dominant Winter Games on record. With a Total Audience Delivery of 19.8 million viewers – NBC Olympics’ primetime performance more than doubled the combined primetime viewership of ABC, CBS and FOX (9.8 million). NBC Olympics’ Total Audience Delivery measured broader PyeongChang Olympics consumption by calculating average minute viewing across broadcast, cable, and digital.

The NBC-only primetime average viewership of 17.8 million beat by 82% the average of the combined broadcast networks to rank as the most dominant Winter Games on record.

Read the full release here.