Fueled by continued strong ratings for its primetime Olympics coverage, NBC won the week of February 22-28, averaging a 5.5 rating, 15 share in adults 18-49 and 21.3 million viewers overall, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research. This marks NBC’s third consecutive weekly win in 18-49 and total viewers. NBC also won the week in adults 18-34, men and women 18-49, adults, men and women 25-54, teens 12-17 and virtually all key measures.
NBC won the week of February 22-28 in adults 18-49 with a 5.5 rating, 15 share, topping Fox, its closest primetime competitor, by a 34 percent margin (5.5 vs. 4.1). NBC also won the week in total viewers, averaging 21.5 million viewers overall, nearly doubling its closest primetime competitor, Fox (11.0 million).
An estimated 190 million viewers watched the Vancouver Winter Olympics on the networks of NBC Universal, making them the second most-watched Winter Olympics ever, surpassing Salt Lake City (187 million in 2002) and ranked behind only the tabloid-fueled Lillehammer Games of 1994 (204 million).
NBC’s average viewership for the Vancouver Olympics is 24.4 million, 21 percent higher, or 4.2 million persons more that the average viewership for the 2006 Torino Games (20.2 million).
All nine of NBC’s primetime telecasts ranked among the top 15 programs of the week in both total viewers and adults 18-49. With 24.5 million viewers, NBC’s Friday Olympics coverage was the #1 telecast of the week in total viewers. NBC’s Thursday Olympics coverage ranked #4 (22.9 million), the Sunday coverage of the Closing Ceremony ranked #5 (21.4 million), NBC’s Tuesday Olympics coverage ranked #6 (21.3 million), the Monday Olympics coverage was #7 (20.9 million), Saturday’s Olympics coverage was #8 (20.6 million), Wednesday’s Olympics ranked #9 (19.8 million), Sunday’s Olympic retrospective “Vancouver Gold” ranked #11 (18.0 million) and Sunday’s preview of “The Marriage Ref” ranked #13 (14.4 million).
In adults 18-49, NBC’s Friday Olympics coverage ranked #3 among all programs this week, Thursday’s Olympics coverage ranked #5, NBC’s Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday Olympics telecasts tied at #6, Monday’s Olympics ranked #9, Sunday’s preview of “The Marriage Ref” ranked #11 and Sunday’s “Vancouver Gold” and Saturday’s primetime Olympics coverage tied at #12.
Primetime averages for the week of February 22-28 in adults 18-49 were NBC (5.5/15), Fox (4.1/11), CBS (2.05), ABC (1.9/5) and CW (0.6/2). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were NBC (21.3 million), Fox (11.0 million), CBS (7.8 million), ABC (5.7 million) and CW (1.4 million).
Through Sunday, Feb. 28, with 25 nights of the 28-night Nielsen February sweep period measured, NBC leads the February sweep in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures. Current February 2010 sweep averages in adults 18-49 are: NBC (4.9/13), CBS (3.9/11), Fox (3.3/9), ABC (2.0/5) and CW (0.7/2). In total viewers, the 25-night February sweep averages are NBC (17.8 million), CBS (13.0 million), Fox (9.2 million), ABC (6.1 million) and CW (1.7 million).
Season to date, NBC now ranks #3 among the major networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers, and is #2 in adults and men 18-34.
NOTE: All national ratings are “live plus same day” from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise indicated. Season-to-date figures are averages of “live plus seven day” data except for the two most recent weeks, which are “live plus same day.”
(source: information provided by NBC)
