LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Fireworks over the Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Park on July 27, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
NBC's coverage of the London Olympic Opening Ceremony drew the highest overnight rating ever for an Olympic opening held outside the U.S.
NBC's coverage Friday drew a 23.0 overnight rating, which translates into 23% of households in the 56 urban TV markets measured for overnights.
London's 23.0 overnight is also up 7% from the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.
The Games held in the United States that drew higher overnights for their openers: Los Angeles in 1984 (which drew a 29.5 overnight), Salt Lake City in 2002 (27.9) and Atlanta in 1996 (27.2).
TV markets in the West often produce some of the highest local TV ratings for Olympic coverage. San Diego had the highest local ratings for Friday's opener as it drew 27.8% of households there. The other top markets: Washington (26.8), West Palm Beach (26.8), Salt Lake City (26.6) and Denver (26.4).
Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY