That ratings for NBC’s primetime airing of the Summer Olympics in Rio have been less robust than expected has been well-documented ever since the Opening Ceremonies were down some 28 percent from the 2012 London Games.

Since then, the gap has narrowed a bit with the Wall Street Journal reporting that the Games are down some 15.5% from the London Olympics with an average of 27.9 million viewers tuning in. More concerning is that the primetime broadcast is down 30% among millennial audiences aged 18-34, but some of that was expected and NBC ramped up its streaming and online efforts to counter those viewing habits.

Still, NBCUniversal sold more than $1.2 billion in national Olympics advertising, with 75 percent of that placed in primetime, according to Adweek, so advertisers are guaranteed a certain amount of gross ratings points.

Should the networks of NBCUniversal fall short, advertisers will be granted make-goods in multiple ways. One of those ways will be to give them more time in primetime and other programming, meaning there will be less time available for NBC to promote its primetime shows.

Promos for shows such as comedy Superstore, starring America Ferrera, and The Voice, headed into its 11th season, have been in heavy rotation during the Games. Both shows will air preview episodes after Olympics coverage this week.

New shows Timeless, This is Us and The Good Place all are getting a lot of air time, while sophomore shows that are moving time periods — Superstore, Blindspot and Chicago Med — are also getting play. Still, it’s tricky to satisfy advertisers, while paying adequate promotional attention to primetime fare.

Once the Olympics comes to a conclusion on Sunday, August 21, NBC still has a month to promote its fall schedule and the network will still be running popular summer shows such as American Ninja Warrior and America’s Got Talent, plus it has the highest-rated show on television when Sunday Night Football debuts on Sunday, Sept. 11.

READ MORE: Adweek

[Image of NBC’s The Voice courtesy of Adweek]

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