NBC through Saturday night was averaging a 16.2/28 national rating and 27.7 million viewers for its prime-time coverage of the Beijing Games, up 6.6 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively, from a 15.2/27 and 24.9 million viewers for the same period at the 2004 Athens Games. Through Saturday night, the network had drawn 211 million viewers for the Games, surpassing the 209 million viewers for the 1996 Atlanta Games to become the most-viewed Olympics in U.S. history.

NBC on Saturday night earned a 10.2/19 national rating and averaged 16.5 million viewers, down 8.1 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively, from an 11.1/21 and 18.0 million average viewers for the comparable night in Athens. NBC on Friday night drew a 10.5/19 and 17.6 million average viewers in prime time; the network on Thursday night earned a 13.8/23 and averaged 22.4 million viewers.