Olympics Drew Top Viewership

NBC'S coverage of the Summer Olympics last week overpowered the competition with twice as many viewers as its next-closest network opponent, according to ratings released Tuesday.

NBC earned a 16.1 average rating for last week's programming. CBS earned an 8.5, ABC an 8.4, and Fox a 6.1, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co.

Each ratings point represents 921,000 homes.

The Olympic ratings still were down two points from those of the 1988 Seoul Games and dropped significantly in the second week following the conclusion of the gymnastics, swimming, and diving competitions.

The first week of prime-time NBC Olympic broadcasts earned a 19.2 average.

The average rating for both weeks of the games was 17.5.

Seven of the final-week Olympic telecasts were among last week's top 10 prime-time shows, with Monday's and Thursday's broadcasts tied for first.