NBC & NBCSN Score Big Gains Throughout Tuesday's Olympics Coverage

NBC and NBCSN posted sizable increases for Tuesday's Sochi Winter Olympics coverage which featured Shaun White in the snowboard halfpipe final, Erin Hamlin becoming the first American to medal in a luge singles event (bronze), the figure skating pairs' short program, the gold medal final in women's ski jumping, and curling.

Last night's Primetime Olympics telecast on NBC (8-11:03 p.m. ET) averaged 23.7 million viewers - up 29% from the last European Winter Olympics (18.4 million for Torino in 2006) and up 17% from the network's live (ET/CT) coverage of the opening Tuesday of the 2010 Vancouver Games (20.3 million viewers). Last night's coverage also averaged a 13.7 national household rating/22 share - an increase of 21% over Torino (11.3/18) and up 12% from the live Vancouver coverage (12.2/19). Overall, from the Opening Ceremony through Tuesday, NBC's five-day Primetime national household rating (14.4/23) is up 13% from Torino (12.7/20) and essentially even with Vancouver (14.5/24).

NBCSN continued its streak setting a viewership record each day of the Olympics. NBCSN averaged a network-best 1.1 million viewers for the 6 am-3 pm ET time period on Tuesday - breaking the mark for best weekday viewership set Monday. NBCSN set weekend daytime records for its live Sochi Olympic telecasts on Saturday and Sunday.

There have been nearly 30 million visitors to NBC Olympics' digital platforms through Tuesday (NBCOlympics.com; NBC Sports Live Extra app and the new NBC Olympics Highlights and Results app) - up 54% from the Vancouver Olympics. Nearly 600,000 viewers live streamed Shaun White's performance yesterday, ranking as NBC Olympics' second-largest Olympics live stream, trailing only the women's soccer final at the 2012 London Games.

NBC's midnight Late Night show averaged 5.8 million viewers on Tuesday - up 45% and 21% respectively from the 2010 Vancouver Games and 2006 Torino Olympics on the opening Tuesday. Late night Sochi viewership has posted increases over Vancouver and Torino for each of its four shows.

Need more TV Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...