The Pyeongchang Games wrapped up as the least-viewed Winter Olympics in primetime on record, with time zone challenges and changes in TV viewing habits being strong headwinds for NBC. Even when combining broadcast, cable and digital audiences (total audience delivery), NBC averaged 19.8 million viewers, which is beneath the previous low of 20.2 million viewers for the ’06 Turin Games (NBC-only figure). On its own in primetime, NBC averaged 17.8 million viewers. NBC was trending ahead of Turin heading into the weekend, but primetime viewership for Friday, Saturday and Sunday was down compared to ’06. The Pyeongchang Games' TAD was down 7% from Sochi four years ago (down 17% when comparing NBC alone).
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WINTER OLYMPICS PRIMETIME VIEWERSHIP ON NBC
|
|
NIGHT
|
DAY
|
TURIN ('06)
|
VANCOUVER ('10)
|
SOCHI ('14)
|
PYEONGCHANG ('18)
|
TAD* ('18)
|
|
1
|
Thurs.
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
20,016
|
15,995
|
17,249
|
|
Opening
Ceremony**
|
Fri.
|
22,200
|
32,641
|
31,690
|
27,837
|
28,286
|
|
3
|
Sat.
|
23,239
|
26,189
|
25,115
|
21,394
|
24,159
|
|
4
|
Sun.
|
23,244
|
26,372
|
26,323
|
22,676
|
26,201
|
|
5
|
Mon.
|
21,069
|
25,224
|
22,395
|
20,295
|
22,341
|
|
6
|
Tue.
|
18,405
|
20,330
|
23,722
|
20,500
|
22,600
|
|
7
|
Wed.
|
17,867
|
29,416
|
20,809
|
17,042
|
19,157
|
|
8
|
Thurs.
|
19,378
|
24,782
|
22,944
|
16,196
|
19,185
|
|
9
|
Fri.
|
18,928
|
23,304
|
19,109
|
16,579
|
19,131
|
|
10
|
Sat.
|
19,673
|
26,668
|
17,097
|
14,520
|
16,141
|
|
11
|
Sun.
|
19,238
|
23,294
|
21,270
|
16,375
|
18,259
|
|
12
|
Mon.
|
22,482
|
20,926
|
23,546
|
16,357
|
18,659
|
|
13
|
Tue.
|
25,079
|
21,279
|
18,934
|
17,516
|
20,292
|
|
14
|
Wed.
|
16,007
|
19,808
|
20,187
|
14,132
|
16,403
|
|
15
|
Thurs.
|
25,723
|
22,920
|
20,286
|
15,231
|
17,583
|
|
16
|
Fri.
|
15,932
|
24,522
|
14,934
|
12,895
|
14,044
|
|
17
|
Sat.
|
16,544
|
20,630
|
13,280
|
11,691
|
13,125
|
|
Closing
Ceremony**
|
Sun.
|
14,837
|
21,403
|
15,117
|
14,780
|
14,780
|
|
AVG.
|
20,244
|
24,372
|
21,321
|
17,813
|
19,800
|
| NOTES: * = TAD number includes broadcast, cable and digital viewing in primetime. ** = Pyeongchang was first time the Opening and Closing ceremonies were streamed live (hours before NBC telecast in '18). |
DOWN, BUT STILL STRONG: NBC’s primetime Olympic viewership was still easily the most-watched programming on TV throughout the Pyeongchang Games. The Games were the most-watched programming on all 18 nights this year, matching the same figure four years ago in Sochi. In ’10 at Vancouver, when most events were live in the U.S., NBC only won 14 of 17 nights. When including the TAD number, NBC in primetime on Olympic nights was 102% better than the combined figure for ABC, CBS and Fox (82% better with the NBC-only). That figure is well above the 43% gap that NBC had four years ago for Sochi. Including Summer and Winter Games, NBC has now won 74 straight nights with the Olympics in primetime. Meanwhile, coverage of Pyeongchang competition helped lead NBCSN to its best monthly viewership on record, with a total-day average of 768,000 viewers in February.
WORTH ONE’S SALT: After finishing second four years ago, Salt Lake City regained the mantle as the highest-rated U.S. market for NBC and NBCSN’s primetime Olympic coverage. The Utah market averaged a 21.1 local rating for 18 nights of coverage, up from a 19.0 for Sochi, but down from a 21.9 when it led the Vancouver Games, and down from a 21.6 when it led the Turin Games. Denver finished No. 2 for Pyeongchang at a 20.2 local rating, up from its 18.3 rating four years ago, when it finished third. Minneapolis-St. Paul, which led all markets during Sochi, was No. 3 this year at a 17.5 local rating, down from a 19.4 four years ago. Rounding out the top five this year were Milwaukee (17.1) and San Diego (17.0).
WEB SLINGING: The Olympics on NBC drew more than 273 million cross-channel engagements across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+ and Wikipedia, according to data from social media measurement firm ListenFirst. NBC Olympics also saw 241 million total video views across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. There were 13.7 million organic mentions on Twitter of #Pyeongchang2018, #Olympics, #NBCOlympics, #BestofUS and #WinterOlympics. Data from Twitter also showed that there were 103 million tweets sent about the Games globally. South Korea and Japan led all nations in tweets mentioning the Olympics, followed by the U.S. Three Japanese Olympic wins were the top-tweeted moments of the Games, with U.S. snowboarder Shaun White’s Gold Medal win in the men’s halfpipe coming in at No. 4. Figure skating and curling were the top-tweeted sports during Pyeongchang. No U.S. athlete cracked the top five in terms of most-mentioned athletes on Twitter. Among Team USA, White was the most-mentioned athlete, followed by figure skater Adam Rippon and snowboarder Chloe Kim. Meanwhile, data from Facebook shows White was the most-discussed athlete on the platform globally during the Games, followed by U.S. snowboarder Red Gerard. Figure skating topped curling as the most-discussed sport globally on Facebook, while in the U.S. alone, that order was flipped. White’s Gold Medal-win also was the most-viewed Olympic highlight on Facebook during the Games.
