Olympics Ratings Disappoint, CBS Gives Away Ad Spots Amidst Lowest Viewership Since Albertville

Strategic Insights -

The television ratings for the ongoing Olympics are significantly lower than expected, forcing CBS to offer free advertising spots to its customers. The network initially guaranteed a 19 rating for the broadcasts but saw only a 16.5 average after the first week of the Games, which is 15 percent lower than the ratings of the Albertville games in 1992. The low viewership can be attributed to the unpredictable weather conditions, according to a CBS spokesperson, Leslie Anne Wade, who stated that extra commercials will be added to the broadcast to accommodate advertisers, but viewers should not notice them.

Key Takeaways:

  • CBS guaranteed a 19 rating for the Olympics broadcasts but only averaged a 16.5 after the first week, representing a 15 percent decrease from the Albertville games in 1992.
  • The low viewership has led to CBS offering free ad spots to its customers, with Leslie Anne Wade stating that the network will not insert extra commercials to inconvenience viewers.
  • CBS has admitted that it had not sold all of its available advertising time, leaving room for "make goods" to compensate advertisers.
  • CBS has maintained that the added commercials will not be noticeable to the average viewer.
  • The low viewership for the Olympics is consistent with previous years, with some showing a decline in interest.
  • NBC News' "Today" show continues to lead in ratings, with 16 percent more viewers than the same week a year ago.

Statistics:

  • The Olympics average rating is 16.5, 3 percentage points lower than the guaranteed 19.
  • The Olympics have attracted 15 percent fewer viewers than the Albertville games in 1992.
  • "Today" show has seen a 16 percent increase in viewers compared to the same week in the previous year.
  • "Today" show drew 6,700,000 viewers in the latest Nielsen report.
  • ABC's "Good Morning America" had 4,400,000 viewers in the same report.
  • CBS had 3,200,000 viewers.
  • "Titanic" has received 14 Oscar nominations.
  • The movie has a production cost of $65 million.
  • The film has matched the previous record of 14 Oscar nominations held by "All About Eve" since 1950.

Sources:

  • [No specific source provided in this part of the text]