NBC crosses the ratings finish line in 1st place as Winter Olympics get under way

Olympics help NBC skate to the top of the ratings

NEW YORK — The first three nights of the Vancouver Olympics are spelling gold for NBC. But Fox is also pleased with the number of viewers for another kind of competition on “American Idol.”

The Nielsen Co. said Wednesday that the Winter Olympics opening ceremony was last week’s most-watched program. It was seen by nearly 33 million viewers.

NBC’s Sunday and Saturday prime-time coverage ranked third and fourth, respectively. But Tuesday’s “American Idol” ranked second for the week, and Wednesday’s episode ranked fifth.

NBC averaged 16 million viewers overall last week and could look forward to two more weeks of Olympic domination.

CBS was in second place and was followed by Fox, ABC and the CW. NBC’s “Nightly News” held its usual lead among the evening newscasts.