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NBC suffers its first prime-time dip of the Beijing Games

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We’ll get to Paul Hamm in a few paragraphs.

NBC Universal on Wednesday night learned how much Michael Phelps means when it comes to luring viewers to its prime-time NBC broadcasts from the Beijing Games. With Phelps absent from Beijing Games swim finals on Wednesday night, NBC’s prime-time broadcast for the first time dipped below numbers generated by the comparable 2004 Athens Games broadcast.

Wednesday night’s broadcast drew an average of 27.7 million viewers, down from 28.4 million during the like broadcast in 2004, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The primetime rating was 16.7, down from 17.3.

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As NBC Universal was quick to note Thursday in its ratings press release, the Athens Games broadcast in question enjoyed considerable star power in the form of Hamm, who won a controversial gold medal in the 2004 Athens Games men’s gymnastics all-around.

Despite the one-night dip, NBC’s average viewership of 30.8 million over six days is up from 26.2 million during the like period in 2004. The network’s six-day national prime-time rating is 17.6, up from 15.7 during the comparable period four years ago.

Phelps, meanwhile, is scheduled to resume his gold rush later tonight (PT) in Beijing’s Water Cube.

-- Greg Johnson

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