NBC SPORTS DELIVERS ITS MOST-WATCHED YEAR SINCE 2016
Big Event Viewing - 32 Shows Delivered Blockbuster Audiences of 20+ Million Viewers; 400+ Billion Minutes Consumed Across NBCUniversal Platforms
Topping the Charts - Paris Olympics Averaged 30.4 Million Viewers and Won Primetime Every Night; Sunday Night Football Continues Unprecedented Run as Primetime's #1 Show
Multiple Milestones - Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card Became Most-Streamed Live Event in U.S. History at the Time; Most-Watched Kentucky Derby since 1989; Most-Watched Premier League Season Ever
Welcome Back! - New Media Agreement Returns NBA and WNBA to NBCUniversal Beginning in 2025, Highlighting Acquisitions Including BIG EAST Basketball, and IMSA and Kentucky Derby Extensions
Innovation Continues Across NBC Sports and Peacock - Gold Zone, Happy Hour with Smylie Kaufman, and Multiview Enhance Viewing Experience
STAMFORD, Conn. - December 30, 2024 - It was a banner year for NBC Sports in 2024, from the industry-record three NFL playoff games on one weekend in January -- highlighted by Peacock's record-setting presentation of the first-ever exclusive live streamed playoff game -- to the most-watched Kentucky Derby in 35 years, the exciting conclusion of the most-watched Premier League season ever, golf's U.S. Open and Open Championships, a spirited U.S. Olympic Trials leading up to the widely acclaimed multi-platform coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and into the fall with NASCAR, Big Ten and Notre Dame Football, and the continued dominance of primetime's No 1 show Sunday Night Football.
Collectively, the most prestigious events and properties in sports propelled NBC Sports to its most-watched year since 2016, with more than 400 billion minutes (or more than 7 billion hours) consumed across NBCUniversal platforms.
NBC Sports delivered 32 shows in 2024 which topped 20 million viewers (TAD) across multiple platforms (viewership for last night's Sunday Night Football game will be available tomorrow).
And there's more to come! In 2024, NBC Sports announced a return of the NBA and WNBA in an 11-year agreement (which begins in October 2025); a new six-year deal for BIG EAST men's and women's basketball; a multi-year rights extension with IMSA; and an extension with Churchill Downs making NBC and Peacock the home of the Kentucky Derby through 2032.
Following is a look at NBC Sports' banner 2024:
SPECTACULAR PARIS OLYMPICS DOMINATED MEDIA LANDSCAPE
NBCUniversal's innovative presentation of the 2024 Paris Olympics was the world's biggest media event - highlighted by 7,000 hours of coverage, 329 events in and around the City of Light (and Tahiti!), and numerous breakout stars for Team USA, which won more medals (126) than any country and tied for the gold-medal lead (40).
· NBCU registered a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 30.4 million viewers across the combined live Paris Prime (2-5 p.m. ET) and U.S. primetime (8-11 p.m. ET/PT) time periods - up 80% from the Tokyo Olympics (16.9 million), according to official data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.
· The NBC Broadcast Network extended its streak to 152 consecutive Summer Olympics nights as primetime's No. 1 show.
· Led by Peacock, 23.5 billion minutes of Paris Olympics coverage were streamed - up 40% from all prior Summer and Winter Olympics combined (16.8 billion minutes across NBCUniversal digital platforms).
· USA Network ranked as the #1 cable sports/entertainment network in Total Day and primetime viewership over the two weeks of competition.
MAJOR VIEWERSHIP MILESTONES
· Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card Became Most-Streamed Live Event in U.S. History at the Time -- With 32.1 million total viewers, according to Nielsen, the Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card Game became the most-streamed live event in U.S. history at the time, and drove the Internet to its largest U.S. usage ever on a single day and the largest Internet event ever, consuming 30 percent of Internet traffic during the game.
· Most-Watched "Run for the Roses" in 35 Years -- NBC Sports' presentation of the thrilling 150th Kentucky Derby averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 16.7 million viewers across NBC and Peacock - marking the largest Kentucky Derby audience since 1989.
· Sunday Night Football Extends Record as Primetime's No. 1 Show - SNF finished the 2023-2024 TV season as primetime's #1 TV show in all key metrics for an unprecedented 13th consecutive year - adding to its record for the most consecutive years atop the charts (since 1950), based on official live plus same day data provided by Nielsen.
· Premier League Sets All-Time U.S. Viewership Record -- NBC Sports' coverage of the Premier League in 2023-24 delivered the largest average Premier League audience in U.S. media history across NBC, Peacock and USA Network.
· 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs -- Viewership for NBC Sports' coverage of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs delivered year-over-year increases for seven out of 10 races and averaged 2.35 million viewers, up 6% vs. 2023 (2.23 million).
LANDMARK MEDIA RIGHTS AGREEMENTS
· NBCUniversal and the NBA announced an 11-year agreement for NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Sky Sports and Telemundo to present NBA and WNBA regular-season and playoff basketball games beginning with the 2025-26 season.
· NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) announced a multi-year extension of their partnership, making NBC the longest running home of the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby will be presented on NBC and Peacock through 2032.
· NBC Sports and The BIG EAST Conference announced a new six-year media rights agreement for men's and women's basketball, spanning from 2025-26 through 2030-31. Peacock launched its coverage of BIG EAST men's basketball in 2024-25.
· In June, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and NBC Sports agreed to a multi-year extension of their media rights agreement, keeping NBC Sports as the home of the flagship IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and other IMSA-sanctioned series.
PRODUCTION INNOVATIONS CONTINUE ACROSS NBC SPORTS AND PEACOCK
· Gold Zone: The Gold Zone whip-around show debuted on Peacock for the 2024 Paris Olympics, drawing rave reviews. As one of the most popular offerings of Peacock's comprehensive Paris Olympics coverage, Gold Zone consistently ranked among Peacock's top five most-watched Olympics titles and nearly quadrupled its viewership over the course of the Games, with one in five Olympics viewers tuning in.
· Multiview: One of Peacock's innovative and popular features that enhance the live viewing experience, Multiview was available throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics and made its Premier League debut in December.
· "Your Daily Olympics Recap on Peacock": In collaboration with Emmy Award-winning, Hall of Fame announcer Al Michaels and powered by generative A.I. and A.I. voice synthesis technology, Peacock presented "Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock," a first-of-its-kind, personalized experience providing fans with their own customized playlist of Olympic highlights.
· Watch with Alex Cooper - Alex Cooper, the multi-hyphenate creator, host, and executive producer of Call Her Daddy, the most listened-to podcast by women globally, hosted Watch with Alex Cooper, a series of live interactive watch parties streaming on Peacock.
· Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson - Comedians Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson brought their hilarious insights to the 2024 Olympics, recapping the best moments throughout the Games.
· Fridays With Smylie - NBC Sports' golf coverage showcased the personalities of the PGA TOUR's top players with its new Friday Happy Hour segments hosted by on-course reporter Smylie Kaufman, creating viral moments and bringing a new approach to Friday afternoon telecasts heading into the weekend.
· Johnson Wagner - GOLF Channel analyst Johnson Wagner became appointment viewing during the biggest weeks in golf. Wagner's reenactments of crucial shots in major events was highlighted by his improbable reenactment of U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau's bunker shot on the 72nd hole - with a surprise appearance and coaching by DeChambeau himself.
· EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast: NBC Sports and Peacock presented EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast on Dec. 21, a first-of-its-kind live football experience blending video game elements and live action, for the Houston Texans-Kansas City Chiefs game.
· Caitlin Clark alt feed: Peacock presented a special Caitlin Clark alternate feed on Feb. 15, featuring a dedicated camera capturing Clark's every move as she broke the NCAA women's all-time scoring record.
A YEAR OF RECORD SETTING MOMENTS
· January 14-15, 2024 - NBCUniversal became first media company to present three NFL Playoff games on a single weekend (Super Wild Card Weekend).
· January 21, 2024 - The Iowa-Ohio State overtime thriller on NBC and Peacock was the most-watched regular season women's college basketball game, at the time, since 2010, averaging 1.93 million viewers.
· April 4, 2024 - NBC Sports announced record-setting U.S. Olympic Team Trials coverage, with NBCU presenting over 200 hours, including more than 35 hours in primetime on NBC. Combined viewership for swimming, diving, track & field, and gymnastics across NBC, Peacock and USA Network was up 58% from 2021, marking the most-watched Trials telecast in eight years.
· June 18, 2024 - NBC Sports' presentation of the 124th U.S. Open from Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2) was the most-watched east coast U.S. Open since 2013.
· July 26, 2024 - NBCUniversal's presentation of the unprecedented Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony led by NBC and Peacock registered the most-watched Opening Ceremony for a Summer Olympics since London 2012 with a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 28.6 million viewers, according to official data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics.
· August 16 - 18, 2024 - NBC Sports' presentation of the Premier League's first matchweek of the 2024-25 season was the most-watched opening weekend on record in the United States, averaging 820,000 viewers across six matches live on NBC/Peacock, USA Network, and NBC Sports Digital platforms from Friday, Aug. 16-Sunday, Aug. 18.
· September 5-8, 2024 - NBC Sports opened the 2024 NFL season with three blockbuster games in four nights - the first time a media company has presented three primetime games on NFL Kickoff Weekend.
· September 5, 2024 - In a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game, the Kansas City Chiefs' thrilling victory over the Baltimore Ravens was the most-watched NFL Kickoff game ever, averaging a record Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 29.2 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.
· September 13, 2024 - NBCUniversal's unprecedented coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, presented by Toyota, generated numerous U.S. viewership milestones, reaching a Paralympic record 15.4 million total viewers across NBC, Peacock, USA Network, CNBC, and Telemundo during the 12-day event from Aug. 28-Sept. 8., including the second most-watched Paralympic Games telecast on record and the most-watched Paralympics cable telecast on record.
· October 12, 2024 - Oregon's thrilling 32-31 victory over Ohio State on Big Ten Saturday Night drew the largest primetime audience for a regular season Big Ten conference football game since 2008, with an average of 10.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and NBC Sports Digital.
· November 28, 2024 - NBC Sports' presentation of the Green Bay Packers' 30-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins marked the record third consecutive NBC NFL Thanksgiving night game to top 26 million viewers.
-NBC SPORTS-
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