Tokyo Olympics Ratings Highs and Lows So Far – And How They Stack Up to 2016 Rio Games

Last Friday’s opening ceremony viewership was down 35% from 2016 — and it hasn’t gotten any better

After a year’s delay due to the pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics got off to a rocky start on NBC last Friday with an opening ceremony that was down 35% in total viewers compared to the 2016 kickoff to the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games, an all-time low in viewership.

One week later, we have six nights of Nielsen data that give a better idea of overall interest in NBC’s Tokyo Olympics coverage. We also know which night took the gold and which didn’t even medal — and how they stack up to Rio’s comparable evenings.

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Jennifer Maas

Jennifer Maas

TV Reporter • jennifer.maas@thewrap.com • Twitter: @jmaasaronson