'American Idol's' Phillip Phillips' 'Home' Sales Surge Thanks to Olympics

2:00 PM PDT 8/2/2012 by Keith Caulfield, Billboard

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The season 11 winner's coronation song, which NBC has been using as the soundtrack to its women's gymnastics coverage, could top 200,000 downloads this week.

"Home," the coronation song by 2012 American Idol season 11 winner Phillip Phillips, is getting a second life -- thanks to the Olympics.

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The song, chosen for Phillips by Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine and first released in May, has been used repeatedly as a theme during NBC's broadcast of its women's gymnastics coverage.

Industry sources are forecasting that the song could sell around 200,000 downloads by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, Aug. 5. To put that in perspective, in the most recent week (ending July 29), only one song sold more than 200,000: Flo Rida's "Whistle," with 237,000.

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"Home" first started getting play on NBC last weekend, so we've already seen it post some major sales gains. In the week ending July 29, it earned a 69% increase in downloads, selling 40,000 for the week (up from 24,000 a week earlier).

In turn, it reentered the Digital Songs chart at No. 47 and the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 84.

Now, following the U.S. team's win during the team competition on July 31, the song is selling at an even faster pace.

Projecting "Home's" sales this week is difficult, considering a lot of the song's traction depends on how much TV exposure it receives in the coming days. NBC is due to broadcast more women's gymnastics during primetime on Aug. 2 and 5.

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If "Home" sells around 200,000 downloads, it could move straight into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 next week. The new Hot 100 chart's top 10 will be revealed on Aug. 8.

"Home" originally debuted and peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 shortly after Phillips won American Idol in May. It bowed with 278,000 downloads in its debut week and has sold 617,000 to date in the U.S.

Last month, Phillips received his first gold record marking the achievement and certifiying sales of over 500,000.

Twitter: @billboardbiz