Tokyo Paralympic Viewership Reached 14.1 Million Viewers, Setting Paralympic Games Record & Nearly Doubling Rio 2016
Coverage on NBC Averaged Total Audience Delivery of 1.2 Million Viewers; Up 81% vs. Rio
Tokyo Paralympic Coverage on NBC and NBCSN Up 8% Over Rio Paralympics
Primetime Coverage on NBCSN Up 27% vs. Rio
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 9, 2021 – NBCUniversal’s unprecedented coverage of the Tokyo Paralympics generated numerous viewership milestones, including the two most-watched Paralympic Games telecasts on record in the U.S. Coverage collectively reached 14.1 million viewers across NBC, NBCSN, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, setting a new Paralympics Games record and marking an increase of 81% vs. the Rio Paralympics in 2016 (7.8 million). The first-ever Paralympic primetime coverage on NBC on Sunday, Aug. 29, averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 2.1 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched Paralympic Games telecast on record in the U.S. and surpassing the previous record by 1 million viewers (1.1 million; NBC; Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympic Opening Ceremony). NBC’s primetime coverage this past Sunday, Sept. 5, averaged a TAD of 1.5 million viewers, marking the second most-watched Paralympic Games telecast on record in the U.S.
The two most-watched Paralympic Games telecasts on record in the U.S. and an unprecedented 6.5 hours of coverage on NBC helped deliver a TAD of 1.2 million viewers on the broadcast network over the course of the Games, up 81% vs. the network’s average in 2016 for the Rio Paralympics (640,000 viewers).
Primetime coverage on NBCSN averaged 180,000 viewers, up 27% vs. Rio 2016 Paralympics primetime coverage (143,000 viewers). Additionally, the primetime presentation of the Tokyo Opening Ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 24, ranks as the third-most watched Paralympic Games cable telecast on record, averaging 175,000 viewers on NBCSN, an increase of 30% vs. the Rio Opening Ceremony (135,000 viewers). NBCSN presented live coverage for roughly 12 hours a day during the Games.
In its most ambitious effort ever, NBCUniversal presented a record 1,200 hours of Tokyo Paralympic Games coverage from August 24-September 5, 2021. NBCU’s coverage included more than 220 hours of television coverage, the first-ever primetime hours on NBC, live coverage of the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony on NBCSN, and exclusive streaming coverage on NBC Sports digital platforms and Peacock. Click here for more details.
A complete archive of Tokyo Paralympics press releases can be found here.
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