NBC averaged a 16.2/28 national rating and 27.7 million viewers for its 17 prime-time telecasts of the Beijing Olympics, up 8.0 percent and 12.6 percent, respectively, over a 15.0/26 and 24.6 million average viewers for the 2004 Athens Games. The 16.2 rating is the best for a non-U.S. Summer Games since a 17.1/33 for the 1992 Barcelona Games, and the 27.7 million average viewers are the most for a non-U.S. Olympics since the 1976 Montreal Games.

NBC drew a 15.2/24 and 27.2 million average viewers for Sunday night's coverage of the Closing Ceremony, up 27.7 percent and 38.8 percent, respectively, from an 11.9/20 and 19.6 million average viewers for Athens.

USA averaged a 0.70 household rating and 491,000 viewers in the adult 18-49 demo for its coverage of the Games, while MSNBC averaged a 0.46 household rating and 267,000 adults 18-49 and CNBC averaged a 0.32 household rating and 229,000 viewers in the demo. Oxygen averaged a 0.43 household rating and 291,000 adults 18-49 during its 6-8 p.m. ET coverage of the Games.