The Paris Olympics have brought some joie de vivre to NBCUniversal.
For the first 13 days of the Games, the Comcast Corp.-owned media company averaged 32.2 million viewers across its TV and streaming platforms, according to data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. The figure combines the live coverage shown during the day and the taped highlights telecast and streamed in the evening.
Ratings Surge from Tokyo
The Paris number is 76% higher than the audience for the Games in Tokyo, which were delayed a year and held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Olympics content streamed on NBC’s Peacock platform surpassed 19.1 billion minutes viewed, more than the 16.8 billion minutes watched on the service for all previous Olympics, winter and summer, combined.
The contrast with Tokyo three years ago could hardly be more stark.
Commercial Success and Revenue
NBC was able to sell its reserve of commercials at an even higher price than the inventory purchased before the Games began. Among the major takers was the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, who abruptly became the presumptive Democratic nominee last month and needs to quickly introduce herself to the public.
The additional sales helped push NBC’s ad revenue well past the previous record of $1.25 billion it took in during 2021. The final number for Paris will be the largest ad revenue take for any TV event in history, an NBC representative said.
Political Climate and Public Reception
NBC may have been fortunate that the Paris Olympics came along at a time when a deeply politically divided country could use a break.
Two weeks before the Games began, former President Donald Trump barely escaped an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. Not long after, President Joe Biden made the stunning decision to pull out of his reelection campaign. Tensions are running high over Israel’s war with Hamas, creating fear over a larger military conflict in the Middle East.
Impact of Athletes and Streaming
Making a multitude of events available on demand satisfied the streaming audience that wanted the choice and convenience of on-demand viewing. But the Games’ performance also proved that people will show up for traditional TV if there is compelling drama they have to see in real time.
NBC was also able to integrate entertainment figures into its Olympics coverage without generating a lot of pearl-clutching from sports purists, which helped deliver high audiences in prime time.
Future Outlook and Viewer Behavior
John Rood, Chief Marketing Officer of Magid, mentioned that consumers’ willingness to turn on the TV at all hours will continue to benefit the Olympics as time goes on, emphasizing the increasing commonality of watching content on laptops or phones.
NBCUniversal has the rights to the Games through 2032. The next Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
Gymnastics has always been a strong draw for female viewers, but the Paris Olympics may also be benefiting from a surge in interest in women’s sports in general, as highlighted by a recent study.
The success of the Paris Olympics has shown that compelling content and positive viewing experiences can draw in audiences across different platforms, setting a high bar for future Olympic events to meet.
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