POSTED: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 7:00am
UPDATED: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 - 7:04am
CNN — For all of the heat NBC's feeling over Sunday's Olympics closing ceremony, they can at least celebrate their ratings success.
According to a statement from the network, Sunday's show was watched by an average of 31 million total viewers, earning the 2012 closing ceremony the title of most-watched for a Summer Games held outside of the U.S.
The London Olympics overall had a strong showing in ratings, with NBC reporting an average of 31.1 million viewers during primetime hours throughout the 17-day event.
According to the network, that's a 12 percent increase in average primetime viewership from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and a 26 percent increase from the 2004 Games in Athens.
Undoubtedly, the sizable audience tuned in to see a ceremony filled with contributions from the likes of The Who, Muse, George Michael, Fatboy Slim, Annie Lenox and even The Spice Girls.