Newsflash: people loved watching the Olympics. Me, I am shocked by this news, after hearing EVERY SINGLE FEMALE ACQUAINTANCE explain how Michael Phelps is so hot and yeah I know his teeth and his ears but look at that body and he’s just so sweet and ohmygod watch him swim OHMYGOD. (I don’t get it, myself.) The Olympics have always been a little sexualized - given that they feature some of the most toned and fit people in the world, how could they not be? - but this year was even more hormonal than most. And there is no more powerful human drive to tap into, as NBC has discovered.

It was a little difficult to schedule live events on Beijing that would still be aired during peak T.V. hours in the three different time zones in the U.S., but as it turns out, it didn’t matter. A survey of Olympics watchers revealed that 76% had no problem losing sleep to watch their favorite events. The result? The 2008 Olympics, over its 17-day run, had more viewers than any T.V. event in history.

All of the most important events were aired live everywhere except the West Coast; everyone who was home, consequently, tuned in to watch. As live events began to disappear later in the second week, so did viewers. This doesn’t bode will for the London Games of 2012, since the much shorter time difference will make it impossible to schedule ideal times for both the athletes and the viewing public.

Bidding is still open for the 2014 and 2016 games, and given the phenomenal results this year, it’s likely to soar. ESPN has expressed interest, and others may step into the war as well.

Of course, NBC took full advantage of their captive audience during commercial breaks. They aggressively promoted their regular lineup, hoping to make some of this viewership spike permanent. But can they possibly maintain any of the Olympics viewership without offering glimpses of Michael Phelps’ hot bod?

That remains to be seen. This coming Fall, NBC will offer new seasons of hits like Chuck, ER, The Office, and Heroes, as well as unpopular but critically acclaimed shows like 30 Rock. This programming alone should be enough to keep them afloat, but if they’re expecting another ‘08 Olympics, they’re in for a bitter dose of reality.

Tags: hobbies, trivia, pop culture

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