Summer Olympics: Primetime Viewers Demos, Median Viewer Ages

The additional viewers drawn to NBC during the '04 Athens Summer Olympics came from a variety of sources depending on the demo, according to Magna Global. Among households and women 18-49, more than half of NBC’s gains came from those who had been watching nothing during the previous two weeks, while roughly 20% came from ad-supported cable and less than 20% from the other broadcast networks (and less than 10% coming from premium pay services, independent stations, and PBS). Among men 18-49, it was a different story. Around 40% came from previous non-viewers, while more then 35% came from ad-supported cable, only 7% came from other broadcast networks, and 15% came from a combination of premium pay services, independent stations, and PBS. The following shows the impact of the Athens Games on primetime TV usage/competition (Magna Global).

LIKE A FINE WINE: The median age of Summer Olympics viewers in primetime has been gradually aging over the past several Games, particularly among men, where the average median age in '04 for Athens was more than ten years older than in '92. Looking at percent composition trends, the percent of viewers under 21 has declined significantly, while there has been a substantial increase in the percentage of 50+ viewers. Viewers between the ages of 30 and 50 have shown the least volatility.