Peacock powers NBCU to record-breaking Olympics viewership

NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Paris Olympics is delivering unprecedented viewership numbers and captivating audiences across the country. The network’s opening Sunday of competition drew a staggering 41.5 million viewers, nearly doubling the viewership of the same day during the Tokyo Olympics, according to the latest data from from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.

A golden start

The first three days of the Paris Games have been a huge success for NBCUniversal. The network has averaged a massive 34.5 million viewers across live afternoon coverage and primetime, representing a 79% surge compared to the Tokyo Olympics. These figures underscore the immense popularity of the Games and the network’s ability to captivate a vast audience.

Team USA shines, ratings Soar

American athletes have been at the forefront of the action, and their performances have translated into sky-high ratings. The U.S. men’s basketball team’s opening victory over Serbia averaged a jaw-dropping 10.9 million viewers, eclipsing the viewership of the gold medal game in Tokyo. Meanwhile, the U.S. women’s soccer team’s triumph over Germany outperformed every soccer match in the Tokyo and Rio Olympics, drawing an average audience of 4.2 million viewers.

Peacock soars to new heights

Led by Peacock, 4.5 billion minutes of Paris Olympics coverage has been streamed through Sunday – surpassing the total streaming minutes for the entire Tokyo Olympics (4.48 billion minutes across NBCUniversal digital platforms). NBCUniversal’s streaming service’s performance highlights the growing importance of streaming in the sports landscape and the platform’s ability to complement traditional television.

A bonanza for advertisers

The Paris Olympics have proven to be a success for advertisers as well. Early data stated by NBCU indicates that ads during the Games are generating higher attention (+18%), better recall (+33%), and increased likelihood to search on linear (+67%) than competitive broadcast/cable television. Key industries such as automotive, restaurants, and movie studios are reaping the benefits of the Olympics’ massive reach and engaged audience. For instance, Paris Olympics viewers are +24% more likely to be in the market for a car than the total population, with Paris auto advertisers already seeing a +52% greater incremental brand search vs. competitive TV.