Phelps Propels NBCU to Top Olympics Ratings

BEIJING, August 14: A
total of 82 million viewers tuned in to NBC to watch swimming star Michael
Phelps set the record for winning the most Olympic gold medals ever, delivering
a 19.9 rating and a 34 share.

"Obviously our
multiplatform Olympic strategy is a success, but this record-breaking Olympic
performance is proving that network television is more alive than ever,” said Jeff Zucker, the president and CEO of NBC Universal. “We are breaking records
that are 20, 30 and nearly 50 years old—this is a fantastic triumph for
network TV."

NBC Universal has issued
its first TAMi (Total Audience Measurement Index) for the first four days of
the Beijing Games. Monday night’s 82 million total viewers is the most of any
night so for in the Beijing Games. Through five days, NBCU has attracted 168
million total viewers, nearly 15 million more than the first five days for
Athens. The average viewership over the five days is 31.3 million, almost 5
million more than Athens.

NBCU is also delivering
strong numbers from its website coverage, with 17.7 million video streams, 21.1
million unique users and 373.9 million page views.

—By Mansha Daswani