NBC had every reason to feel confident about broadcasting the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. After all, the Olympics had long proven their ability to captivate massive global audiences across both summer and winter television seasons. By taking on its 11th Olympic production, NBC Universal carved out a new record for the most by a broadcast network, overtaking ABC in the process.
Television rating firms such as Nielsen have the tools to measure viewership precisely across multiple audiences and time zones — something that matters when comparing the Olympics to events like the Super Bowl, which may draw more simultaneous viewers at a single moment. The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, ran from August 8 through 24, and the numbers were staggering. Nielsen reported that 4.7 billion viewers tuned in at some point over the duration of the Games. That figure eclipsed the previous benchmark set by the 2004 Athens Games, which attracted 3.9 billion viewers. The Sydney Games in 2000 slipped down to third place.
There's something about the Olympics that consistently mints sports legends, no matter the discipline or country, as medal tallies become a nightly fixture on evening news broadcasts. During that summer in 2008, an estimated 70% of the world's population watched the competitions at various points throughout the event. Among the biggest stories to emerge from the Beijing Games was American swimmer Michael Phelps, whose haul of 8 gold medals shattered the previous record held by Mark Spitz from the 1972 Olympic Games. By the time the closing ceremonies got underway, the United States had secured 2nd place in the overall medal count, surrendering the gold medal lead to host country China.