NBC’s coverage of the Sochi Olympics’ Opening Ceremony averaged 31.7 million viewers to rank as the most-watched Opening Ceremony for a non-live Winter Games since the 1994 Lillehammer Games, according to live plus same day fast national data released today by The Nielsen Company. In addition, Friday night’s telecast ranks No 2 all-time among most-watched non-live Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies (chart below). Said Mark Lazarus, Chairman of the NBC Sports Group: “Like Team USA, we’re off to a great start, and we’re gratified that the American audience tuned in in such large numbers for the tremendous Opening Ceremony from Sochi. It’s an early sign that our strategy of emphasizing primetime viewing is working, and we’re excited for the competition over the next two weeks.”
This story was originally written in the Sport Intern and is republished with permission from Karl-Heinz Huba.