According to Neilsen’s estimates, 35 million people tuned in Friday night to see the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony. This is a big hit for the NBC network who recently inked a $894 million licensing deal. In comparison to the 2004 Olympics, China clocked in 19 percent more viewers than Athens in ’04. (Source)

If you didn’t catch the show, you definitely missed a spectacle! Check out some great photos here!