The networks drew a total of 203 million viewers - 134 million on the main network and 69 million on four cable networks (MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Telemundo).
The total was the biggest ever for a Summer Games taking place outside the US, up 5 per cent from the previous record of 194 million set by Seoul in 1988. The 2004 total viewership beat Sydney by 10 per cent.
However, the volume of coverage for Athens was also about three times greater than in 2000. NBC said its multiple channel coverage was successful in delivering cable viewers to the main network in prime time. It said that 54 per cent of the viewers watching the Games on Bravo and CNBC in the lead-in time slot turned to continue watching on NBC.
The Olympics on NBC accounted for the top seven programmes on American television for the week of August 23 to 29. The Olympics finished on top every night of the week. The same thing happened the previous week.
Australia's Seven Network said that a 2.22 million peak audience watched its coverage of the Closing Ceremony of the Games.
The commercial broadcaster said that 12.01 million viewers watched all or part of its coverage of the Games over the past 17 days, with an average prime time audience of 1.67 million. During prime time, it scored a 45 per cent average audience share across the Games.
In the UK, coverage of the Closing Ceremony provided the highest rating of the day for public broadcaster the BBC. The average audience was 6.3 million, 29.4 per cent of the TV audience, while the peak was 8.1 million, 37.4 per cent of the TV audience.
France TC)lC)visions recorded an average audience of 2.5 million across its coverage of the Olympic Games, an average audience share of 15 per cent, its director of sports FrC)dC)ric Chevit told L'Equipe.
Canadian network CBC averaged 1.118 million viewers in prime time, down 16.5 per cent from 1.339 million during the Sydney Games. However, the overall daily average for Athens of 696,000 was up 6 per cent from Sydney's 659,000.
