More than 100 million Americans have watched the Sochi Winter Games on NBCUniversal, according to Nielsen. NBC executives said Wednesday the ratings for the Games — the most viewed Winter Olympics ever — have been “beyond expectations,” even beyond prime time.
In a conference call from Sochi, NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus noted viewing habits are changing: What they’re finding is a “circle model,” in which digital consumption drives people back to TV, which drives them to digital. Other highlights:
• Neither the absence of Lindsey Vonn nor the dashed hopes of Shaun White have tarnished NBC’s ratings gold. Daytime and late-night viewing is up, not just prime time.
• Denver is the No. 3 market for the Games, behind Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City.
• NBC said consumers are having a “50 percent success rate” at authenticating their cable/satellite subs and getting access to live streaming. (Refresher: go to on computer, phone, tablet. You’ll be prompted to download the NBC Sports Live app. Sign in with user name and password issued by your TV provider.)
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