Armchair fans tune in

The stadium seats in Athens may be empty but the armchairs and sofas of Britain are full as the BBC's coverage of the Olympics saw impressive viewing figures.

More than 10 million people watched the opening ceremony on Friday.

And the first weekend's coverage has seen millions tune in, with a peak of 4.4 million people witnessing Britain's first medal in the synchronised diving on Saturday.

Even on Sunday afternoon, three million viewers watched cyclist Nicole Cooke's attempt at a medal while the peak audience came for the men's swimming later in the evening, which attracted 4.9 million viewers.

The BBC's coverage is also competing well against ITV's peak-time favourites such as Coronation Street, with the same number of people watching the opening ceremony as the soap opera.