NBC Scores The Most Dominant Primetime Win During A Regular Season Non-Super Bowl Week For Any Network

NBC's coverage of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics has led the network to the most dominant in-season non-Super Bowl week versus the combined Big 4 competition for any network in the history of Nielsen's current People Meter sample.

With the seven nights of Olympics coverage accounting for the week's top seven primetime programs on the broadcast networks in every key ratings measure, NBC averaged a 4.3 rating and 17.6 million viewers overall for the week of Feb. 12-18, according to "live plus same day" viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research,.

NBC beat the ABC-CBS-Fox competition for the week in total viewers by +89% (17.6 million vs. a combined 9.3 million), for the biggest in-season win versus that combined competition during a non-Super Bowl week in the 30-year history of Nielsen's current people meter sample.

In 18-49, NBC's +139% margin (4.3 vs. a combined 1.8) was also the biggest advantage over the Big 4 competition for an in-season non-Super Bowl week in the history of people meters, which date back to September 1987.

In adults 18-49, NBC is dominating the current primetime season, with leads over #2 FOX of +0.9 of a rating point or +53% (2.6 vs. 1.7). The +53% advantage is the best for any #1 network at this point in the season in the 30-year history of Nielsen's current people-meter sample.

Season to date, NBC is also running #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in every other key ratings measure, including total viewers, for the first time since 2001-02.

Counting entertainment programming only, NBC leads the season in adults 18-49, and also ranks #1 among the Big 4 in adults 25-54, adults 18-34, men 18-49 (tie) and all key adult-female demos.

Weekly ratings are "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date ratings are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."

Week 21 Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "live plus same day," Feb. 12-18

NBC...4.3

ABC...0.7

CBS...0.7

Fox...0.4

CW...0.3

Total Viewers

NBC...17.6 million

CBS...4.5 million

ABC...3.2 million

Fox...1.6 million

CW...0.9 million

Season-to-Date Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

NBC...2.6

Fox...1.7

CBS...1.6

ABC...1.4

CW...0.6

Total Viewers

NBC...10.0 million

CBS...9.2 million

ABC...5.8 million

Fox...5.7 million

CW...1.8 million

NBC highlights for the week of Feb. 12-18:

Monday

Feb. 12 primetime Olympics coverage posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) average of 22.3 million viewers. With an NBC-only average of 20.9 million viewers from 8-11 p.m. ET, the network topped by +87% the combined primetime viewership of ABC, CBS and FOX (11.2 million viewers), which represent the most-dominant Monday night in the regular September-to-May season by any broadcast network since the 1998 Academy Awards, which featured "Titanic" as best picture. For a third consecutive night, Total Audience Delivery represented a double digit lift (10%) over the NBC broadcast viewership (22.3 million vs. 20.3 million for Monday's full duration). On the night, 17-year old American Chloe Kim's won the halfpipe gold medal, viewership on NBC/NBCSN peaked at 26.9 million viewers from 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET as Kim made her final run.

Tuesday

Feb. 13 primetime Olympics coverage posted a TAD average of 22.6 million viewers, including 22.3 million viewers on NBC and NBCSN. That dominated the TV competition, more than doubling the combined 10.6 million primetime viewers for ABC, CBS and Fox. The NBC-only 21.0 million viewers in the 8-11 p.m. ET primetime window topped by 98% the other broadcast networks, making this the most dominant Winter Games Tuesday in people meter history (since Sept. 1987). For a fourth consecutive night, the Total Audience Delivery provided an increase of 10% or more 22.6 million vs. 20.5 million on NBC from 8-11:20 p.m.).

Wednesday

Feb. 14 Olympics coverage delivered the most dominant Winter Games Wednesday night in 24 years, since the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, posting a TAD average of 19.2 million viewers, as well as an NBC/NBCSN average of 18.9 million viewers, which nearly doubled the combined 9.6 million primetime viewers for ABC, CBS and Fox. The NBC-only 17.2 million viewers in the 8-11 p.m. ET primetime window topped by +79% the other broadcast networks, making this the most dominant Winter Games Wednesday night since February 23, 1994 -- the first time that Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding competed against each other after Kerrigan was attacked a month earlier following a practice session at the U.S. FIGURE SKATING Championships in Detroit.

Thursday

Feb. 15 coverage of the PyeongChang Olympics delivered the most dominant Winter Games Thursday night since the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, with a TAD average of 19.3 million viewers, best for a Thursday show on any network since NBC's NFL Kickoff Game on Sept. 7, 2017 (22.2 million viewers for Chiefs-Patriots), and an NBC-only 16.2 million viewers in the 8-11 p.m. ET primetime window that topped by 57% ABC, CBS and Fox, for the most dominant Winter Games Thursday night since February 21, 2002 during the Salt Lake City Games when Sarah Hughes won a gold medal in figure skating, Bode Miller won a silver in the men's giant slalom and Canada topped the U.S. 3-2 in the women's hockey gold medal game.

Friday

NBC's Feb. 16 primetime Olympics coverage averaged a 3.8 rating in 18-49 and 16.6 million viewers overall to win the night in every key ratings measure.Friday's NBC Olympics' primetime coverage delivered a TAD average of 19.2 million viewers, while NBC and NBCSN teamed up to average 18.9 million viewers, which more than douobled the combined 8.1 million primetime viewers for ABC, CBS and Fox.

Saturday

NBC's Feb. 17 primetime Olympics coverage averaged a 3.5 in 18-49 and 14.5 million viewers overall, to beat the combined ABC-CBS-Fox competition by +160% in total viewers (14.5 million vs. a combined 8.9 million) and to more than quadruple that combined competition in 18-49 (3.5 vs. 0.8).

Sunday

Sunday primetime Olympic coverage delivered a TAD average of 18.2 million viewers, while the NBC/NBCSN average was 18.0 million viewers, which dominated the Big 4 competition with an advantage of 82% over the combined 9.9 million primetime viewers for ABC, CBS and Fox. NBC Sports Digital delivered an average minute audience of 170,000 for Sunday night's coverage. The Feb. 18 TAD provided an increase of +12% over the NBC's broadcast viewership, marking the ninth consecutive night of double-digit TAD lift. NBC-only Sunday Olympics coverage (7:30-11:10 p.m. ET) averaged 16.3 million viewers.

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