NBC Hopes the Olympics Help Peacock Take Flight

Big news: The Olympics kicked off Friday, and NBCUniversal hopes for a boost in sign-ups for Peacock.

Summer Olympics (U.S. only) opening ceremony viewership (% change) according to Nielsen:
1) 1988 (Seoul) – 22.7M
2) 1992 (Barcelona) – 21.6M (↓ 5%)
3) 1996 (Atlanta) – 39.8M (↑ 84%)
4) 2000 (Sydney) – 27.3M (↓ 31%)
5) 2004 (Athens) – 25.4M (↓ 7%)
6) 2008 (Beijing) – 34.9M (↑ 37%)
7) 2012 (London) – 40.7M (↑ 17%)
8) 2016 (Rio) – 26.5M (↓ 35%)
9) 2020 (Tokyo) – 16.7M (↓ 37%)

Big question #1: What share of Americans plan to watch the Olympics?

Quick answer: 61% of adults plan on watching.

Summer Olympics (U.S. only) average primetime viewership (% change) according to NBC Sports:
1) 2000 (Sydney) – 21.5M
2) 2004 (Athens) – 24.9M (↑ 16%)
3) 2008 (Beijing) – 27.2M (↑ 9%)
4) 2012 (London) – 30.3M (↑ 11%)
5) 2016 (Rio) – 27.5M (↓ 9%)
6) 2020 (Tokyo) – ?

Big question #2: How do people plan on watching the Olympics?

Viewing method for Summer Olympics according to Amdocs:
1) Live cable/pay-TV – 43%
2) Streaming – 28%
3) Broadcast TV – 26%
4) Social media – 16%
5) On-demand – 15%

Big question #3: What are the most anticipated sports?

Most anticipated sports at Summer Olympics according to Morning Consult:
1) Gymnastics – 62%
2) Swimming – 56%
3) Diving – 51%
4) Track & Field – 49%
5) Beach Volleyball – 48%
6) Basketball – 46%
7) Volleyball – 46%
8) Baseball & Softball – 44%
9) Boxing – 39%
10) Tennis – 39%

Big question #4: How much does NBCUniversal currently pay to air the Olympics?

Quick answer: $1.1B for the 2020 games

Big question #5: How many hours of content will be generated during the Summer Olympics?

Summer Olympics hours of content (% change) according to the International Olympic Committee:
1) 1988 (Seoul) – 2,572
2) 1992 (Barcelona) – 2,800 (↑ 9%)
3) 1996 (Atlanta) – 3,000 (↑ 7%)
4) 2000 (Sydney) – 3,500 (↑ 17%)
5) 2004 (Athens) – 3,800 (↑ 9%)
6) 2008 (Beijing) – 5,000 (↑ 32%)
7) 2012 (London) – 5,600 (↑ 12%)
8) 2016 (Rio) – 7,100 (↑ 27%)
9) 2020 (Tokyo) – 9,500 (↑ 34%)

Big question #6: What potential impact could the Olympics have on Peacock?

Quick answer: 30% increase in sign-ups.

Peacock user status (% of total) according to Bloomberg:
1) Non-active sign-ups – 28M (67%)
2) Free tier monthly user (MAU) – 11M (26%)
3) Pay tier monthly user (MAU) – 3M (7%)
4) Total sign-ups – 42M

More #1: Inside Comcast’s Plan to Become a Streaming Giant

More #2: Remembering the 1992 Olympics Triplecast – An Idea 30 Years Ahead of Its Time

Video: NBC Olympics Triplecast [1 min] (1992)