NBC scores mixed bag of pros, cons

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2008 | by Michael Hiestand

NBC's hype is true: By Saturday, its

Beijing Olympic coverage was already "the most-viewed event in U.S. TV history."

NBC's coverage, by any measure, produced big box office. But before this goes down as an apocalyptic event in TV history, note some devilry in the details:

*After Phelps, treading water: NBC's Beijing prime time, which produced more than 90% of its total Olympic TV viewing, was averaging 16.2% of U.S. households through Saturday. That's up 7% from the 2004 Athens Games. But that gain came largely from Michael Phelps' live miniseries. After he dried off, Beijing didn't compare so well: In the seven nights after Phelps' last race, NBC's prime-time coverage out-rated comparable 2004 Olympic only once.

*What's behind the...