Viewership of NBC's coverage of the 2012 Olympics continues to grow.
NBC kicked things off with a bang on Fri., July 27 with 40.7 million people tuning in for the opening ceremony, making it the most-watched opening ceremony for a summer or winter Olympics ever. On Sat., July 28, the coverage averaged 28.7 million viewers, making its two-day primetime average 35.6 million viewers.
UPDATE: NBC has released the official numbers for Sunday, reporting an average of 36 million viewers tuned in across NBC owned networks.
In an internal ratings document obtained by The Huffington Post, NBC said Sunday's primetime coverage across NBC owned stations averaged a "phenomenal" 20.3 household rating, 20 percent higher than Saturday's numbers. The Olympics coverage during daytime hours -- 7 a.m.-6 p.m. -- posted a 9.1 household rating across NBC stations.
The ratings success for NBC is good news for the struggling network. NBC, which placed third among the broadcast networks in terms of ratings during the 2011-2012 TV season, will use the Olympics to help launch their new shows. Returning drama "Grimm" will debut early in August and viewers will get a taste of new comedies "Go On" and "Animal Practice."
Matthew Perry's "Go On" debuts on Wed., Aug. 8 following Olympic Games coverage, Justin Krik's "Animal Practice" premieres on Sun., Aug. 12 after the closing ceremonies and "Grimm" will debut after "Stars Earn Stripes" on Mon., Aug. 13.