NEW YORK—NBC Universal’s Olympics coverage is drawing huge audiences, helped by the extravagant opening ceremony and US swimming star Michael Phelps, and setting the stage for what could be record TV ratings for the Summer Games.

NBC Universal said the first two days of the Beijing Olympics drew an average audience of 29.1 million, making it the most highly rated broadcast of the Summer Games held outside the United States since 1976.

In total, 114 million viewers tuned in for at least part of its broadcast during the first two days, about 20 million more than the 2004 Games in Athens, NBC said, citing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co., paid nearly $900 million for rights to broadcast the games, and plans to air 3,600 hours of coverage between Aug. 8 and Aug. 24 across its broadcast, cable TV and online outlets.

NBC Universal has sold more than $1 billion in advertising for the Beijing Games.

Once it aired, the opening extravaganza pulled in an average of 34.2 million viewers, up about 35 percent from the opening ceremonies in Athens.

Family affair

They cry and shout; they scream and dream. When it comes to the serious business of winning Olympic gold medals, it’s a family affair.

Just ask mom.

Perched high up in the tribune at the impressive Water Cube swimming complex, the mother of American pool sensation Michael Phelps is living every dramatic and nerve-shredding moment of her son’s historic attempt to become the first man to win eight gold medals at the same Games.

Smartly made-up, with short, wavy hair, Deborah Phelps, a 57-year-old Baltimore college principal, is simply “Debbie” to the legion of journalists and photographers who crowd round her.

“Oh my God, oh my God, that was an awesome race, just awesome,” cried Mrs. Phelps after her son and his three teammates had clinched the 4x100 freestyle relay by a hair’s breadth in a world record time.

South Korean teenager Park Tae-Hwan also had his mother on hand to witness his victory in Sunday’s 400m freestyle as the teenager claimed his country’s first swimming gold.

The mothers of Chinese competitors are regularly sought out by TV interviewers.

Eclectic mix

Audiences are being treated to a somewhat eclectic mix of music to keep them entertained and pumped up on Olympic passion during the two weeks of sport.

Played during breaks between competitions, the tracks are a heady compendium of Chinese and Western hits, with the odd addition that seems to have come straight out of left field.

At the weightlifting venue, Blondie’s “The tide is high” was a favorite.

In the blue-hued Water Cube, the retro-theme continued as Abba’s camp classic “Dancing Queen” roused the cheering masses watching Chinese divers Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia.

Neither is Chinese-language “Mandopop” being left out.

Artists from China’s long-time diplomatic rival Taiwan are having their voices heard too, Taiwanese artists being extremely hot in China despite political tensions.

Seat fillers

Cheerleading volunteers have been shipped in to Olympic venues to fill up empty seats and liven up the atmosphere, Games organizers said Tuesday.

Empty seats have been filled by yellow T-shirted volunteers at events including beach volleyball as organizers have struggled to keep venues for some preliminary rounds full even though all tickets have been sold.

Organizers have faced criticism over empty seats at several venues on the opening days of the Games.

Wang Wei, vice president of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, said the combination of bad weather and a large number of unused sponsor tickets had caused the problem.

Lonely sponsors

Organizers promised Tuesday to let more people into the tightly guarded Olympic Green after sponsors complained that security restrictions kept visitors away from their promotional pavilions, a marketing official said.

General Electric Co., Coca Cola Co. and others that spent tens of millions of dollars to link their brands to the Olympics created colorful, costly displays on the plaza beside the Bird’s Nest stadium and other key venues. But access was limited to ticket holders for sports events. So at many pavilions, the staff outnumbered the handful of visitors.

Organizers agreed to give out passes to allow thousands more people on the Olympic Green every day following a meeting with International Olympic Committee officials.

“I am reassured after our talks that there will be more people going through the pavilions,” said Gerhard Heiberg, chair of the IOC’s Marketing Commission.

The complaints were especially sensitive for organizers because companies represented on the green are top-tier sponsors. They include Japan’s Panasonic and watchmaker Omega.