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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Olympic opening draws 5m viewers | Olympic opening draws 5m viewers |
| (about 23 hours later) | |
| The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics attracted an average audience of five million viewers to BBC One, according to initial overnight figures. | The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics attracted an average audience of five million viewers to BBC One, according to initial overnight figures. |
| More than 50% of people watching TV on Friday afternoon tuned in to see the fireworks, acrobats and athletes - with a peak audience of 5.4m at 1700BST. | More than 50% of people watching TV on Friday afternoon tuned in to see the fireworks, acrobats and athletes - with a peak audience of 5.4m at 1700BST. |
| A further 700,000 watched the first day of the games live on the BBC website. | A further 700,000 watched the first day of the games live on the BBC website. |
| But due to China's time difference, TV audiences were down from the 8.68m who watched the Athens ceremony in 2004. | But due to China's time difference, TV audiences were down from the 8.68m who watched the Athens ceremony in 2004. |
| Globally, there was an estimated TV audience of one billion people for the four-and-a-half-hour spectacular. | Globally, there was an estimated TV audience of one billion people for the four-and-a-half-hour spectacular. |
| US delay | US delay |
| The show, which featured 10,000 performers, including 2,008 drummers and a skywalking, torch-bearing gymnast lighting the Olympic flame, received rave reviews. | The show, which featured 10,000 performers, including 2,008 drummers and a skywalking, torch-bearing gymnast lighting the Olympic flame, received rave reviews. |
| "The world may never witness a ceremony of the magnitude and ingenuity as that which opens the 2008 Olympics," said the Sydney Morning Herald. | "The world may never witness a ceremony of the magnitude and ingenuity as that which opens the 2008 Olympics," said the Sydney Morning Herald. |
| Fireworks punctuated the four-and-a-half-hour ceremony"It was a floor show that made the most spectacular revue in Las Vegas look like a church picnic," wrote Mike Downey in the Chicago Tribune. | Fireworks punctuated the four-and-a-half-hour ceremony"It was a floor show that made the most spectacular revue in Las Vegas look like a church picnic," wrote Mike Downey in the Chicago Tribune. |
| However, viewers in the US were angered as the broadcast was delayed by 12 hours. | However, viewers in the US were angered as the broadcast was delayed by 12 hours. |
| TV network NBC, which owns exclusive rights to Olympics coverage in the States, waited until the evening to show the ceremony rather than putting it out live. | TV network NBC, which owns exclusive rights to Olympics coverage in the States, waited until the evening to show the ceremony rather than putting it out live. |
| A spokesman for the broadcaster, which paid $894m (£465.7m) for the rights, said the decision was taken to maximise viewing figures. | A spokesman for the broadcaster, which paid $894m (£465.7m) for the rights, said the decision was taken to maximise viewing figures. |
| "It's a business decision," a spokesman told the AFP news agency. "It protects our affiliates, our advertisers, and shows it to the largest number of viewers possible." | "It's a business decision," a spokesman told the AFP news agency. "It protects our affiliates, our advertisers, and shows it to the largest number of viewers possible." |
| But many were unimpressed. | But many were unimpressed. |
| "It sort of feels like the entire world is attending a huge party and NBC threw away our invite," wrote one blogger, while others traded tips on how to watch the ceremony online. | "It sort of feels like the entire world is attending a huge party and NBC threw away our invite," wrote one blogger, while others traded tips on how to watch the ceremony online. |
| When it was finally broadcast on Friday night, the event drew 34.2 million viewers, making it the biggest US broadcast since the Super Bowl. |