Beijing Olympics most watched Games at 4.4 billion

A record 4.4 billion people, about two-thirds of the world’s population, watched the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games from Aug 8 to 17, making the current edition of the quadrennial sporting extravaganza the most watched in history, a top market research firm said.

The Nielsen Company drew TV audience data from 38 nations and regions, including host China, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Italy and Australia.

The viewership for the Beijing Games had already exceeded those achieved by the 2004 Athens Olympics’ 3.9 billion mark.

The Sydney Games in 2000 had 3.6 billion viewers.

The company said the Beijing Games closing ceremony tonight looked “all set to break further records,” Xinhua news agency reported.