Pew: Majority of Viewers Say Olympics Coverage Is Good or Excellent

TV still the screen of choice for London Games

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/6/2012 6:57:49 PM

A Pew Research Center report confirms the ratings and streaming numbers that suggest a lot of folks are tuned to the Olympics in London.

NBCU's ears may be burning: According to the report, 76% of the Olympic watchers describe the coverage as excellent or good, with only 18% saying it is fair to poor.

More than three quarters of those polled (78%) said that they have watched or followed the Olympics coverage on TV, online or over a social network.

TV remains the screen of choice, with 73% saying they have watched coverage there. Seventeen percent said they have watched online and 12% say they have followed the games on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.

Whether it is because that is when the taped coverage of big ticket sports is airing, or because that is when they have the opportunity, 68% said they are watching events in primetime. Less than a quarter (23%) say they are watching in the afternoon.

The study was of 1,005 adults, conducted Aug. 2-5.