The official overnight ratings are out for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London and it's clear that Paul McCartney and Mr. Bean are big hits in the States. Incredibly, the Olympics showed the great ability to reach across the entire country and gain our attention. The top markets watching the ceremonies went from California to Florida and through each time zone.
Top markets for Opening Ceremony on NBC: San Diego 27.8 Washington D.C. 26.8 West Palm Beach 26.8 Salt Lake City 26.6 Denver 26.4 #Olympics
— NBCSportsPR (@NBCSportsPR) July 28, 2012
The ratings themselves were up 7 percent over Beijing and 18 percent total over Athens, so that's good news that the London games might bring more revenue than recent seasons for NBC.
Stick with SB Nation Kansas City for coverage of local athletes in the Olympic Games. For full coverage of the 2012 London Olympics, check out SB Nation's Olympics hub.