Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Draws Record U.S. Viewership

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony recorded 28.6 million U.S. viewers, becoming NBCUniversal's most-watched start to a Summer Games since 2012. The celebratory event featured athlete delegations on the Seine and Celine Dion's comeback performance. NBCUniversal, which invested $7.65 billion in broadcasting rights, also plans to use AI technology in its coverage.

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony attracted 28.6 million U.S. viewers, according to preliminary data from Comcast's NBCUniversal on Saturday. This makes it the most-watched start to a Summer Games since London in 2012. The celebration on Friday showcased athlete delegations floating down the Seine past Paris landmarks, and featured singer Celine Dion's first public performance in years.

This event is crucial for NBCUniversal, which spent $7.65 billion to extend its broadcasting rights for the Games in the U.S. through 2032. NBCUniversal's Olympics media-rights deal is the largest globally. The viewer count, which includes NBC and Peacock, marks a significant boost compared to 17 million viewers for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games ceremony had 26.5 million viewers, while 40.7 million watched the London 2012 Olympics opener. The Paris Games follow three consecutive Olympics held in Asia, including the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, Tokyo's Summer Games, delayed to 2021 due to COVID-19, and the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

"It's a ceremony like no other, and Games like no other," said Olympic Broadcasting Services CEO Yiannis Exarchos. "The hosts have put forward a vision that is unprecedented. An incredible vision. We are trying to showcase the Games in the best possible way."

The Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympics posed challenges with their time zones and pandemic restrictions, resulting in spectator-less stadiums. In the lead-up to Paris, NBCUniversal emphasized its strategy to lure viewers back.

Singer Beyonce introduced Team USA during the broadcast, airing just before the American athletes appeared on the river. Many more celebrities are expected to feature during NBCUniversal's coverage, which will also integrate AI technology, including recreating the voice of sports commentator Al Michaels.

(With inputs from agencies.)