BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS : Opening Ceremony Seen by 52 Million

The opening ceremony was watched by an estimated 52-million American viewers, according to NBC. The national Nielsen rating was a 13.8, with an audience share of 29%, the network said.

At Seoul in 1988, the opening ceremony drew a 15.2 rating with a 30% share. An NBC spokesman in Barcelona said the lower rating can be attributed to the fact there are fewer television sets in use in July than in September, when the Seoul Games were held.

NBC averaged a 17.9 prime-time rating at for Seoul. It has guaranteed advertisers a 15.3 for Barcelona.