NBC last night drew an 18.6 overnight rating for its telecast from the Rio Games, which featured taped coverage of the U.S. competing in women's gymnastics all-around qualifying and live swimming coverage, including Michael Phelps being part of the Gold Medal-winning 4x100 freestyle relay team and Katie Ledecky setting a new world record in the 400-meter freestyle. That figure is down 14% from the first Sunday night during the '12 London Games, when tape-delayed coverage also featured the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay and women's gymnastics, as well as U.S. swimmer Dana Vollmer earning a Gold Medal in the women’s 100 meter butterfly. Last night also is down from a 21.2 overnight for the first Sunday during the Beijing Games, when the Eastern and Central time zones saw live coverage featuring Phelps winning the second of his eight gold medals in the 4x100 relay. While down from previous years, the 18.6 overnight is the best increase from the Opening Ceremony to the first Sunday night since the '92 Barcelona Games. Salt Lake City led all markets last night with a a 25.8 local rating, followed by Denver (22.3), St. Louis (21.6), K.C. (21.4) and Phoenix (21.0). Meanwhile, live coverage of the Rio Games last night drew a 0.9 overnight on NBCSN, where coverage featured weightlifting, table tennis, men's soccer, judo and boxing. Bravo drew a 0.5 overnight for its tennis coverage last night (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
IT'S NOW OR NEVER? The AP's David Bauder writes after two nights of "disappointing -- even alarming -- ratings" for NBC, everything "broke right" last night. Phelps' leg in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay "gave the U.S. a lead it wouldn't relinquish in a pulsating race," while Ledecky "more than lived up to pre-race hype" by winning the women's 400m freestyle in a "dominating" performance. The U.S. women's gymnastics team -- "always a favorite for prime-time viewers -- had a sparkling performance in its qualifying round." This all came on a Sunday night, "usually the biggest night of the week for TV viewing." Bauder: "If that didn't kick-start NBC's ratings, it may mean viewers aren't all that excited about the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, certainly not the way they were for London" in '12 (AP, 8/8). USA TODAY's Erik Brady notes NBC gave the U.S. the sort of Sunday night primetime show it loves "with gold in the pool and sequins at the gym on a starry, starry night." Brady writes it feels like Phelps is the "headliner of his own long-running NBC series." The net also gave Ledecky the "star treatment" with a pre-race Matt Lauer profile (USATODAY.com, 8/8).
IT ALL ADS UP: DEADLINE's Dominic Patten wrote NBC's tape-delayed Opening Ceremony coverage had "less than qualifying pacing, insipid and sometimes questionable commentary, unimaginative production, and way too many ads" (DEADLINE.com, 8/5). SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote NBC's production "came across as choppy given the number of commercials." One thing the program had "little of was a discussion of the myriad of issues facing these Games outside of top-line bullet points on the Russian Team" (SI.com, 8/6). ADWEEK's Jason Lynch noted viewers "took to social media to complain about NBC's heavy ad load during" the Opening Ceremony. However, NBC Sports said that the ad load was "'very similar' to that" for the London's Opening Ceremony, but because viewing habits have "changed so much in the past four years, the commercial breaks are now more noticeable to audiences" (ADWEEK.com, 8/6).
OTHER OPENING THOUGHTS: In N.Y., Mike Hale wrote NBC during the Opening Ceremony did "not ignore the scandals -- economic, political, health and doping -- that have dominated the run-up to the Games, but their references were predictably few and faint." The net "couldn't airbrush out the parts of the ceremony itself that took on larger concerns." Meanwhile, NBC's "much-derided decision to tape-delay the broadcast of the ceremony by an hour" probably had "little or no effect on what we saw" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/7). In DC, Jeremy Gottlieb wrote NBC's Lauer, Meredith Viera and Hoda Kotb "talked too much" during the broadcast. Kotb made "references to parties and drinking wine with which she imbued her commentary" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/6). On Long Island, Neil Best noted one "nice touch in NBC's coverage was having the show's producers describe what they were going for as the event was unfolding, including a radical tone change from party time to a long segment on the effects of climate change" (NEWSDAY, 8/6). In Chicago, Bannon & Hine wrote NBC was a "two-time loser" for its Opening Ceremony broadcast. The net's decision to tape delay the event for advertising dollars "tarnished the luster, especially for those playing along on Twitter" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/6).
SWIFT REACTION: The AP's Bauder noted NBC's Dan Hicks was criticized for calling Shane Tusup, the coach and husband of Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu, "the guy responsible" for her world record in the women's 400m IM on Saturday. Some critics "suggested Hicks' commentary was sexist." Hicks yesterday said, "With live TV, there are often times you look back and wished you had said things differently." But he added, "It is impossible to tell Katinka's story accurately without giving appropriate credit to Shane, and that's what I was trying to do" (AP, 8/7). In DC, Cindy Boren wrote the Hosszu-Tusup story is "far more nuanced than Hicks's post-race description." Hicks' "failure was in not saying more about that, even if rumors of possible steroid use and alleged borderline abuse by Tusup don't fit neatly into NBC’s Olympic narrative." Hicks "alluded to Tusup's influence on the air" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/7).
GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT: USA TODAY's Brady noted NBC on Saturday morning "showed some events live right away," including parts of the swimming prelims. NBC "lets you know with the word LIVE in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, next to the NBC logo with the Olympic rings underneath" (USATODAY.com, 8/6). The S.F. Chronicle's Ann Killion wrote on Twitter, "NBC has ALL the access. The best interviews. The ability to bring athletes in studio. Let people watch events live then ... package it brilliantly for a prime time Olympic highlight and feature show That satisfies everyone" (TWITTER.com, 8/8).
TREAT EVERYONE EQUALLY: In DC, Sally Jenkins wrote if viewers are lucky, the Rio Games will "finally persuade NBC execs their Harlequin strategy" of packaging the Olympics "is outdated." NBC's "real offense lies" in that it not so much "insults the audience -- but it sure does insult Olympic athletes, especially female athletes." American women "likely will bring in more medals than American men," yet they will be "presented in packaging aimed at a Ladies' Home Journal crowd" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/7). In N.Y., Linda Stasi wrote under the header, "NBC Marketing Big Insults Women And All Olympic Viewers" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/7).
