We all knew Michael Phelps could make a splash in the pool but who knew he’d make such a splash on TV? Phelps’ pursuit of a record breaking eight gold medals in one Olympics has been the story of the Olympics so far and has now contributed to NBC’s largest audience on a Saturday in 18 years.
Nielsen estimates that NBC averaged 31.1 million viewers from 8 to 11:44 p.m. Saturday. And as has been the case most nights, viewership peaked later in the evening, with 40 million tuning in on average in the 11 o’clock half-hour when Phelps captured the gold as part of the 4×100 medley relay.
The event, which aired live in much of the country, boosted the night’s average for NBC, which was up sharply vs. the opening Saturday of these Games (24.1 million).
You’d have to go all the way back to 1990 to find the last time NBC drew a larger audience on a Saturday program. Phelps himself was just four years old at the time and the program was an episode of The Golden Girls spinoff, Empty Nest which averaged 31.4 million viewers.
Through the first nine nights, NBC’s primetime coverage of the Olympics has averaged 30.1 million viewers. That number is a 15% improvement over Athens in 2004 (26.2M) and is the best ratings average for a non-U.S. Summer Olympics since Barcelona in 1992.
The big unknown is whether or not people will continue to tune in now that the Michael Phelps factor has been taken out of the equation. NBC is certainly hoping so as they are showing heavy coverage across their networks and online.
The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic games end on Sunday with the closing ceremony.
Whoo-hoo! GO MICHAEL!
It was all about Phelps in my household. Now, it's like… okay whatever. Don't care about Olympic basketball, softball, badminton, etc… although the volleyball is fun to watch.
Oh I care about the basketball…that's what I'm excited about, and Phelps too of course.
The men will win gold again this year and they've done it with class so far.
eh… I care that we win the gold in basketball, because there's no excuse if we don't… but I'm not going to watch the games…
Why are you not interested?
Not sure.. lack of drama, I guess… I know we've lost the past few attempts, but those teams didn't have Kobe or Lebron much less both. The average margin of victory has been like 20 points or so. I don't know… now if there was Olympic American football. i would be all over that.
When do they show the games. I have yet to see one. Heck, I haven't even seen them advertise the basketball games.
LeBron was on the last one I think…but I get it I guess.
I love basketball, so that helps me a bit.
Most of the time they've been on around 5am my time out here…