By now everyone knows the London Olympic Games smashed all kinds of rating records to become the most-watched event in American TV history. Some observers have attributed these gargantuan viewership numbers to the beautiful opening ceremony or the heart-thumping anticipation of Usain Bolt’s 100 meter showdown with Yohan Blake. Others have even mentioned the 400-meter individual medley rivalry between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.
However, there is one important factor that could have made all the difference in NBC’s coverage of the games — and that is the women. The 2012 Olympics had more women than any other year, and for the first time in history every country had at least one female athlete.
Women participated in boxing for the first time and one female athlete even competed while being pregnant. The U.S. women outperformed the U.S. men taking home majority of the gold medals for the U.S. team. Overall, women played such a big role in the London Olympics the games, this year the global competition was dubbed “The Women’s Games.”
So how did female Olympians help boost the ratings of NBC’s coverage of the Olympics? Well, these women are not only just as entertaining as their male counterparts when it comes to displaying superior physical abilities, they look a whole lot better doing what they do.
If you don’t believe us, check out our list of the top female Olympians that helped to boost the TV ratings for the 2012 Olympic games. Let us know in the comment section below if you agree, disagree or have your own suggestions…