Most-watched Olympics telecasts of all time
Nielsen average audience, one figure per telecast; a final or revised figure replaces a preliminary one. Composites, peaks, reach and self-reported figures do not chart.
81
eligible telecasts
updated 2026-09-15
All eras
1
London 2012 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
40,700,000
2
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
38,700,000
3
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
33,400,000
4
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
31,600,000
5
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
31,300,000
6
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
31,200,000
7
London 2012 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
31,000,000
8
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
30,800,000
9
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
29,800,000
10
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
28,900,000
11
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
28,500,000
12
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
27,800,000
13
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
26,700,000
14
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
26,600,000
15
Rio 2016 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
26,500,000
16
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
26,400,000
17
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
26,300,000
18
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
25,500,000
19
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
25,100,000
20
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
24,300,000
21
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
24,100,000
22
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
24,000,000
23
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
23,500,000
24
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
22,900,000
25
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
22,700,000
26
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
22,400,000
27
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
21,700,000
28
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
21,400,000
29
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
21,300,000
30
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
20,700,000
31
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
20,600,000
32
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
20,500,000
33
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
20,300,000
34
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
20,200,000
35
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
20,100,000
36
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Prime time
20,000,000
37
Paris 2024 Olympics — Prime time
20,000,000
38
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
19,200,000
39
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
18,900,000
40
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
17,500,000
41
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
17,100,000
42
Rio 2016 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
17,000,000
43
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
17,000,000
44
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
17,000,000
45
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
16,600,000
46
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
16,300,000
47
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
16,300,000
48
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
16,200,000
49
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
15,995,000
50
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
15,400,000
51
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
15,200,000
52
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
15,100,000
53
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
14,900,000
54
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
14,800,000
55
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
14,100,000
56
Paris 2024 Olympics — Prime time
13,900,000
57
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
13,840,000
58
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
12,900,000
59
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
12,800,000
60
London 2012 Olympics — Men's basketball gold medal game
12,500,000
61
Rio 2016 Olympics — Men's basketball gold medal game
11,700,000
62
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
11,700,000
63
Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics — Prime time
11,450,000
64
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
11,000,000
65
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
10,150,000
66
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
8,810,000
67
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,700,000
68
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,570,000
69
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,520,000
70
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Prime time
8,450,000
71
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,360,000
72
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,350,000
73
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,240,000
74
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
7,870,000
75
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
7,250,000
76
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
6,930,000
77
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
6,570,000
78
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Women's hockey gold medal game
4,900,000
79
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Prime time
4,400,000
80
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Women's hockey gold medal game
2,890,000
81
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Men's hockey gold medal game
1,000,000
81 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-09-15 11:10 UTC
Rows span 3 Nielsen eras (Before Out-of-Home, Panel + Out-of-Home, Big Data + Panel); figures from different eras are not directly comparable. Each row carries its era.
Before Out-of-Home (1950–2020)
1
London 2012 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
40,700,000
2
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
38,700,000
3
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
33,400,000
4
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
31,600,000
5
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
31,300,000
6
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
31,200,000
7
London 2012 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
31,000,000
8
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
30,800,000
9
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
29,800,000
10
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
28,900,000
11
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
28,500,000
12
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
27,800,000
13
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
26,700,000
14
London 2012 Olympics — Prime time
26,600,000
15
Rio 2016 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
26,500,000
16
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
26,400,000
17
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
26,300,000
18
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
25,500,000
19
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
25,100,000
20
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
24,300,000
21
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
24,100,000
22
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
24,000,000
23
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
23,500,000
24
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
22,900,000
25
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
22,700,000
26
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
22,400,000
27
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
21,700,000
28
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
21,400,000
29
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
21,300,000
30
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
20,700,000
31
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
20,600,000
32
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
20,500,000
33
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
20,300,000
34
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
20,200,000
35
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
20,100,000
36
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
19,200,000
37
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
18,900,000
38
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
17,500,000
39
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
17,100,000
40
Rio 2016 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
17,000,000
41
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
17,000,000
42
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
16,600,000
43
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
16,300,000
44
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
16,300,000
45
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
16,200,000
46
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
15,995,000
47
Rio 2016 Olympics — Prime time
15,400,000
48
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
15,200,000
49
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
15,100,000
50
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Prime time
14,900,000
51
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
14,800,000
52
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
14,100,000
53
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
12,900,000
54
London 2012 Olympics — Men's basketball gold medal game
12,500,000
55
Rio 2016 Olympics — Men's basketball gold medal game
11,700,000
56
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Prime time
11,700,000
57
Sochi 2014 Olympics — Women's hockey gold medal game
4,900,000
58
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Women's hockey gold medal game
2,890,000
59
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics — Men's hockey gold medal game
1,000,000
59 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-09-15 11:10 UTC
Panel + Out-of-Home (2020–2025)
1
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Prime time
20,000,000
2
Paris 2024 Olympics — Prime time
20,000,000
3
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
17,000,000
4
Paris 2024 Olympics — Prime time
13,900,000
5
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Opening Ceremony
13,840,000
6
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
12,800,000
7
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
11,000,000
8
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
10,150,000
9
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
8,810,000
10
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,700,000
11
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,570,000
12
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,520,000
13
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Prime time
8,450,000
14
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,360,000
15
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,350,000
16
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
8,240,000
17
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
7,870,000
18
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
7,250,000
19
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Prime time
6,930,000
20
Beijing 2022 Olympics — Closing Ceremony
6,570,000
21
Tokyo 2020 Olympics — Prime time
4,400,000
21 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-09-15 11:10 UTC
Big Data + Panel (2025–current)
1 eligible telecast · computed 2026-09-15 11:10 UTC