OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY
The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off on February 4th as more reserved event than in previous years. Pandemic restrictions, political concerns and a boycott by U.S. government officials made for a toned-down celebration. In addition, the 13-hour time difference meant the live event started early Friday morning, with NBC replaying it in primetime. According to NBC, the Total Audience Delivery was 12.8 million in primetime on Friday night (includes all NBC platforms). While it didn't match previous opening events, it still brought massive ratings increases over typical delivery.
The Prime replay (with prime shift) delivered HH increases up to 5 times higher than Jan'22 time period deliveries across the 56 metered markets. Top markets include San Francisco, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Boston and New York.
In the 25 LPM markets, key adult demos increased up to 5 times the time period delivery. Young adults (18-34) were particularly strong, with Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York and Orlando generating the largest increases.
Source: Nielsen NSI overnights, dates as listed.
KATZ OLYMPIC VIEWER SURVEY - FIRST 4 DAYS
What's the buzz on this year's Olympics? A Katz survey of Olympic viewers (fielded 2/5-8) gives us some insights into favorite sports, TV coverage, and connections with local athletes. We also take a look at whether local news coverage is making a mark.
TOP OLYMPIC EVENTS
No surprise that figure skating is first out of the gate with over 6 in 10 Olympic viewers saying they've watched the competition. Ski jumping, alpine skiing, speed skating, snowboard and curling are also among the top-viewed events.
Almost half of respondents have watched at least some of the Olympic coverage. Their favorite Opening Ceremony moment is when Team USA entered the 'Bird's Nest' during the Parade of Nations. Over 4 in 10 have seen Olympic coverage on their local news station, and almost 2 in 10 know of an athlete who comes from their area.
Source: Katz Survey, February 5-8, 2022.
What are the top moments in Winter Olympic history? Almost half (48%) of responses say it's the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team's 'Miracle on Ice.' The second was the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding incident leading into the 1994 Winter Olympics, third is the Jamaican Bobsledders run (and they're back!), followed by Apolo Ohno's and Dorothy Hamilton's gold medal wins.
The "Miracle on Ice" was an ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Though the Soviet Union was a four-time defending gold medalist and heavily favored, the United States upset them and won 4–3. The Russian team consisted primarily of professional players with significant experience in international play. By contrast, the United States' team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, was composed mostly of amateur players, with only four players with minimal minor-league experience. - Wikipedia
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Source: Katz Survey, February 5-8, 2022.