Tokyo Olympic Games Ratings Pose Counting Challenge for NBCU

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorYou’ve probably heard that the Tokyo Olympics were a ratings flop for NBC. But by all measures, it was the most-streamed Olympics ever.NBC’s traditional primetime TV ratings for the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics were the lowest in the broadcaster’s history — the worst since it first started airing the games in 1988.

Pink is still the queen of the household.

Viewership for NBC’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics continued to fall as Thursday evening delivered both the lowest-rated and least-watched day. Per overnight numbers, NBC’s Thursday night coverage aired to 10.4 million viewers and earned a 2.1 rating in the 18-49 demo. Thursday’s numbers fell below last Friday and last Saturday, which first marked the showings with the  smallest audience and lowest ratings, respectively.

Joan Ullyot was a physician and runner whose research and advocacy helped persuade the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to add a women’s marathon to the Summer Olympics.Until the mid- to late 20th century, conventional wisdom said that women should not run long distances or engage in vigorous activity. Some said they were simply unable to complete athletic feats like a marathon, while others held that the exercise would cause irreversible damage to their bodies.

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NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell concedes that linear ratings for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been lower than expected, but says the company will still book a profit on the star-crossed Games.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorTV ratings have fallen, top athletes have dropped out and live crowds aren’t around to cheer, but executives at Comcast still believe in the power of broadcasting the Olympics.“We’ve had some bad luck,” acknowledged Jeff Shell, chief executive of Comcast’s NBCUniversal, which has the rights to telecast the sports extravaganza, during a call with investors on Thursday.

Dominique Moceanu is showing her support for Simone Biles' decision to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics by reflecting on her own struggles at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.The former gymnast was just 14 years old when she competed as part of the «Magnificent 7,» the iconic gymnastics group that won the first-ever team gold medal for the United States.

Simone Biles will not defend her all-around Olympic gold medal. A day after the superstar gymnast left the team final at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo to focus on mental health, she also has withdrawn from the individual all-around competition.

Simone Biles has made another big decision with her future in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNBCUniversal hopes its broadcast of the Tokyo Olympics gives American viewers a grand sports spectacle they can watch at any time they like.

Michael Phelps hung up his swimming cap after the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

2 min read It has taken 13 years, four Olympic Games and countless hours of training and competing but in a major boilover, Tom Daley and his diving partner Matty Lee have won a gold medal in the 10 metre Men’s Synchronised Platform Final in Tokyo over defending champions China by just one point.

Showing their pride! Since women’s gymnastics was first introduced to the Summer Olympics at the 1936 Berlin Games, the athletes’ uniforms have become intertwined with the sport. 

As the world’s athletes gather in Japan for the Summer Olympics the country is experiencing a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections. Country-wide, case numbers have risen 20% in the past week, with 4,204 new infections reported on Friday.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorSportscaster Maria Taylor has moved into a new role at NBC Sports, where she made her first appearance Friday during the network’s Olympics coverage.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are taking place in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but thanks to live streaming, there are more ways to watch than ever before. The two-week event kicks off on Wednesday, July 21 and runs through Aug. 8 in its host city of Tokyo, Japan, who will commemorate the Games with the opening ceremony on Friday, July 23.Among the stars expected to compete for Team USA include Megan Rapinoe, along with the dominant U.S.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorMany advertisers plan to interrupt the Olympics with their commercials. Comcast will interrupt its commercials with the Olympics.The cable-and-entertainment giant has a group of ads ready to run in the Tokyo Olympics that, if all goes well, will include footage from this year’s Games that viewers may have seen just a few hours beforehand.