NBC is averaging a 14.6/25 national Nielsen rating
through its first five days of primetime Olympic coverage,
down 36% from Atlanta's 22.9/43 in '96, down 20% from
Barcelona's three-day average of 18.2/34 in '92 and down 12%
from Seoul's 16.5/30 in '88. Tuesday's evening coverage,
from 7:00pm-12:00am, averaged a 15.5/26, which was the
network's highest rated evening of compeition so far. But
the 15.5/26 was still off 43% from the comparable Tuesday in
Atlanta, down 24% from Barcelona and down 8% from Seoul.
However, Tuesday's primetime coverage from 8:00-11:00pm ET
earned a 17.8/28, more than doubling the network's Tuesday
season-to-date average and making it the most watched
Tuesday night on NBC during the '96 Olympics (NBC).
DAYPARTS, LATE-NIGHT AND CABLE: Inside.com's Tom
Bierbaum reports that NBC's daytime and late-night numbers
are "coming in at barely half the comparable results" for
the '92 and '88 Olympics. Tuesday's 10:00am-noon ET
coverage averaged a 3.1/12 rating, down 54% from early
morning-daytime results from Barcelona (6.7/28) and down 49%
from Seoul (6.1/28). Tuesday's late-night coverage from
12:45am-2:00am ET averaged a 3.6/17, down 45% from Barcelona
(6.6/30) and 59% from Seoul (8.7/32) (Inside.com, 9/21).
Meanwhile, MSNBC's Olympic coverage from 10:00am-4:00pm ET
Saturday and Sunday averaged a 1.0 cable rating, up 150%
from the 0.4 average during the third quarter of this year.
CNBC's 4:00-9:00pm ET coverage Saturday and Sunday averaged
a 0.5 cable rating, compared with a 0.2 during the third
quarter (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 9/21). NBC Sports Dir of
Communications Cameron Blanchard said it "appears" the
audience size for MSNBC and CNBC Olympic coverage combined
to reach around 940,000 HHs. In Atlanta, Prentis Rogers
adds that it is "unclear" if the viewership on the two
channels is "having an impact on the decline of the prime-
time ratings" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 9/21).
MAKE-GOODS AND GIVE-BACKS: NBC's 14.6/25 overall rating
is down 10% from the 16.1 guaranteed to advertisers, and the
AP reports that NBC began compensating advertisers by adding
two ads per hour, on average, during last night's coverage.
NBC had shown nine minutes of commercials per hour, but
instead of 18 national ads each hour, NBC's audiences are
seeing 20 -- "in addition to local affiliates' ad time."
But NBC Sports VP/Communications Kevin Sullivan said, "Even
at 20 units, that's at the current network average and below
what's often on during prime time" (AP, 9/21). The HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER's Michele Greppi: "Although most reports have said
advertisers were guaranteed a 16.1 rating, one source said
the advertisers with whose deals they were familiar were
'protected' up to an 18 rating." Non-network sources
"predicted" that NBC will offer make-good spots to Olympic
advertisers from next week into the baseball playoffs
(HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 9/21). In Toronto, Steve James writes
that despite the low ratings, "some advertisers did not
appear too worried." TN Media's Stacy Lynn Koerner: "The
Olympics are guaranteed. Our clients know that whatever
they paid out, they will get back." Hampel/Stefanides Dir
of National Broadcasting Lisa Siewers: "The networks are
always a lot more optimistic. Advertisers should have
expected the numbers would not be as high" (Toronto GLOBE &
MAIL, 9/21). Interactive Media North America ad buyer Tim
Spengler said he has not heard any "strong negative
reactions" to the ratings from Olympic advertisers.
Spengler: "As ratings fall everywhere, you have to look at
what are the best things you can buy today." Monster.com is
spending $10M on ads "packed into the first eight days of
the Olympics." Monster spokesperson Melanie Downey: "The
commercials have proven to be effective for us, and as long
as we are seeing results from them, we can't really expect
any more from the ad buy" (AP, 9/21).
