OLYMPIC OPENING DOWN FROM ’02, BUT STILL GOOD

NBC’s first two days of Olympics coverage from Turin, Italy, posted lower numbers than the last winter games in 2002 from Salt Lake City, but they were high enough to make the network’s advertiser guarantees, according to Media Daily News.

The opening ceremonies on Friday night averaged 13.1/21 household numbers (22.8 million viewers), down from the 25.5 rating it averaged during the opening ceremonies in 2002, the highest-rated Olympic opening ever. However, that was within the 12.0 to 14.0 household ratings NBC Sports guaranteed Olympic advertisers this year. Among adults 18-49, the coverage drew a 6.6/19, well ahead of ABC’s 3.0/8, CBS’ 2.6/7 and Fox’s 1.8/5.

Through Saturday, more than 88 million people had watched the Torino Games across NBC Universal broadcast and cable networks, according to the NBC. NBC’s coverage Saturday night of the first night of competition drew a 13.5 household rating (about 22.8 million viewers) and was the highest rated first Saturday night for any non-domestic Olympics, winter or summer, since the Lillehammer Games in 1994 scored a 20.9 rating. Among adults 18-49, it again was No. 1 among adults 18-49 with a 6.5/18 in overnight numbers.