Olympics Power NBCU to Top of Podium Among Media Distributors in August

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Comcast unit had 13.4% of TV usage, according to Nielsen

Olympic Champions
The Paris Summer Olympics fueled NBCUniversal’s performance in August. (Image credit: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

The Paris Summer Olympics pushed Comcast’s NBCUniversal unit to the top spot on Nielsen’s list of media distributors for August.

Nielsen said that NBCU’s units including NBC, USA Network and Peacock, accumulated 13.4% of TV usage — the biggest share since Nielsen began keeping track in November 2023.

NBCU had 9.5% of TV viewing in July.

USA Network viewership jumped 47%, Peacock showed a 39% gain in streaming and viewing across NBC’s broadcast affiliates rose 62%.

Nielsen Distributors

(Image credit: Nielsen)

NBCU also got a boost from the Democratic National Convention, which boosted viewing of news network MSNBC by 43% compared to July.

YouTube dropped to the No. 2 spot in the distributor’s rankings in August, but its share increased to 10.6% from 10.4% in July.

Also showing an increase in share during August was The Roku Channel, which had 1.7% of TV usage.

Nielsen noted that with the start of the football season not happening until September and their fall TV premieres still on the way, The Walt Disney Co., Fox and Paramount had August lulls.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.