High TV ratings are good-news for NBC and the Olympics

I received an e-mail from NBC the other day touting that the network's coverage of the Winter Games has been a ratings hit so far, with more than half of all Americans (152 million) watching the first seven days of the Olympics.

The average (26.6 million) was 27% higher than the viewership for the 2006 Winter Games from Torino, Italy.

But here's the biggie: NBC's coverage of the Vancouver Games beat "American Idol" on Wednesday night, ending a six-year unbeaten streak for Fox. That was the night when six Americans won medals, including Lindsey Vonn, snowboarder Shaun White and speed skater Shani Davis.

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