Olympics: 3.4m Kiwis tune in for Games coverage

Prime's coverage was reportedly watched by 3,382,000 New Zealanders. Photo / Mark Mitchell

More than four out of five Kiwis over the age of the five tuned into Prime TV's free-to-air coverage of the London Olympics, according to Sky TV figures.

The channel's coverage was reportedly watched by 83 percent of those over the age of five, or 3,382,000 New Zealanders.

The highest one-off ratings came during New Zealand's "golden hour" on Friday, August 3, when rowing pair Hamish Bond and Eric Murray and single sculler Mahe Drysdale won gold in their events, chief executive of Sky TV John Fellet said.

"At 10.45pm on that Friday night, 534,300 viewers aged 5+ stopped whatever else they were doing to watch our athletes get gold," Mr Fellet said.

He said Prime aired 374 hours of Olympics coverage throughout the Games - 70 percent more than TV One's 218 hours during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Olympics ran for over two weeks, from the opening ceremony on Saturday, July 28 (NZ time), to the closing ceremony on Monday, August 13.

Sky dedicated nine channels to the Games, not including Prime, which Sky owns.

Despite the high figures, not all viewers were impressed with Prime's coverage of the Games.

Disgruntled viewers vented on social media during delayed and cut back coverage of both the opening and closing ceremonies, while coverage during some events cut away at important stages.

- HERALD ONLINE