Tokyo Olympics opening draws 16.7 million US TV viewers, a 33-year low

NBC'sbroadcastof theTokyoOlympicGamesopeningceremonydrew16.7millionviewers, thesmallestU.S.televisionaudiencefor theeventin thepast33years,accordingtopreliminarydatafrom Comcast-owned NBCUniversal on Saturday.

ALSO READ:Tokyo Olympics, Men's Hockey: Australia thrash India 7-1 in Pool A game

Across all platforms, including NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app, 17millionpeople watched theceremony, NBCUniversal said in an email.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The streamingaudienceon those platforms grew 76% from the 2018 PyeongChangopeningceremonyand 72% from the 2016 Rio opener, reflecting a change in viewing habits.

Friday'saudiencereflects a steep drop, despite difficult comparisons with previousopeningceremonies whenviewershad fewer streaming options.

TheTokyoopenerTVaudiencedeclined 37% from 2016, when 26.5millionpeople watched the Rio de JaneiroGamesopener, and 59% from 2012, when 40.7millionpeople watched the Londonceremony.

It was thelowestaudiencefor theopeningceremonysince the 1988 SeoulGames, which attracted 22.7millionTVviewers. It was alsolower than the 1992 BarcelonaGames, when 21.6millionpeople tuned in,accordingto Nielsendata.

The Rio, London, Barcelona and Seoul numbers reflect final ratingsdatanot yet available for theTokyoGamesopener.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Friday's scaled-downopeningeventtook place with fewer than 1,000 attendees at theOlympicStadium under strict social distancing rules.

Major absences included former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had wooed thegamestoTokyo, and top sponsors, as theeventfaced strong opposition in COVID-fatigued Japan.

WithTokyo13 hoursahead of theU.S. East Coast, NBC for the first timebroadcasttheceremonylive in the morning, at 6:55 a.m. ET Friday.NBC'staped, primetimebroadcastbegan at 7:30 p.m. ET.

In its primetime coverage, NBC acknowledged the pandemic and its toll while presenting theOlympicsas a positiveevent.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," said host Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of NBC News' "Today" morning show. "There's nothing like anopeningceremonyto really get you excited for theOlympicGames."

NBCUniversal has aggressively pushed its digital platforms thisyearand views theOlympicsas a vital driver of subscribers for its Peacock streaming service.

The company plans to air an "unprecedented" 7,000 hoursofOlympicscoverage across its multipletelevisionnetworks and Peacock. These include some of the most anticipatedevents, such as gymnastics andU.S. Men's basketball, on the streaming platform. It will also stream over 5,500 hoursof theOlympicson NBCOlympics.com and its sports app.

Not all athletes were present at the teams' parade during theopeningceremony, due to rules that require many to fly in just before their competitions and leave shortly after to limit social contact.

TheTVrating drop is part of a trend among liveTVevents, including awards shows and sports.

February's Super Bowlbroadcaston CBS, a ViacomCBS unit, attracted an average of about 92millionviewers,accordingto Nielsendata, thelowest since 2006. The April Oscars telecast on Walt Disney Co's ABCbroadcastnetwork averaged 10.4million, a recordlow, Nielsen said.Audiences for the most recent Emmys and Grammys also hit newlows.

NBCUniversal, which paid $7.65 billion to extend itsU.S.broadcastrights for theOlympicsthrough 2032, is framing thegamesas a "healing"event, despite scepticism from many Japanese citizens about the wisdom of holding even a scaled-downGamesduring a pandemic.

In June NBCUniversal said it had signed over 120 advertisers for thegames, more than any otherOlympicsbroadcast. An NBCUniversal spokesperson said that month the company was on track to exceed the $1.2 billion in ads sold for the 2016 RioOlympics but declined to say whether it would beat the $1.25 billion sold lastyearbefore theTokyoGameswere postponed.

Ratings are not an indication of profitability. Despite a drop in overallviewership from the 2012 LondonOlympics, NBC earned more than $250millionfrom its RioOlympicscoverage, with ad sales up more than 20% from London.

In June NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell said theTokyoGamescould be the most profitableOlympicsin NBC’s history.