NBC Sports is claiming a Winter Games record after finishing out the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with $920 million in national advertising sales.
The network said it added $20 million to that total after the Games began due to “viewership exceeding our advertiser guarantees.”
“We are successful against every important measurement. Viewers came in droves across all dayparts and platforms, our advertisers are all delivered, and our affiliate and distribution partners are extremely happy,” said Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports and Broadcasting, in a statement.
NBC said that the 17-day event averaged more than 20 million primetime viewers.
“In today’s media environment, to average approximately 20 million viewers over 18 nights—which is essentially the number of hours for a full season of three primetime shows—is a tremendous accomplishment. When compared to the competition, we were more dominant than any Winter Games ever,” said Lazarus. “Our long-term Olympic rights agreement through 2032 is the best in all of media. With Tokyo, Beijing, Paris and Los Angeles coming up as hosts—and coming off four consecutive profitable Games—we are very bullish on our investment.”
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During NBC’s most recent quarter, advertising revenue decreased 6.5% as ratings declined. But the broadcaster expressed a lot of confidence in the current quarter thanks to big-ticket live sporting events.
“We are excited to have the Super Bowl on NBC, followed by the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. The Olympics highlight our strengths and capabilities across Comcast NBCUniversal, as we combine the storytelling of NBC with Comcast technology to create a truly spectacular viewing experience. Overall, we feel great about our company and our positioning as we head into the year,” said Comcast CEO Brian Roberts in a statement.