Two billion viewers? Not so fast...

http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/2011/05/06/2-billion-viewers.php

I think Phil Gyford has this right - its an large number when you drill into it. What numbers like this tend to mean is that the broadcast was carried on channels that have a reach totalling 2 billion. Its simply too early to have detailed figures from across the world. Also this 2 billion figure is essentially what was predicted beforehand - suspicious.

Another comparison: in 2009 the Sunday Times reported that the opening cermony for the Beijing Olympics was the most watched live TV event in human history with an audience of 984 million people watching at least some of it. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article6256063.ece. That report dates from nearly a year after so that is a well researched number.