Milan Cortina Olympics most-watched Winter Games since 2014
#Milan Cortina Olympics #Winter Olympics viewership #NBCUniversal #2026 Olympics #Winter Games ratings #Olympic broadcasting #Super Bowl #NBA All-Star Game
📌 Key Takeaways
- Milan Cortina Olympics averaged 23.5 million viewers in the US
- Most-watched Winter Games since 2014 with 96% larger audience than Beijing 2022
- Viewership included NBC, Peacock, CNBC, USA Network and other digital platforms
- NBC also broadcast Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game in February 2026
📖 Full Retelling
The Milan Cortina Olympics averaged 23.5 million viewers across NBCUniversal platforms in the United States during February 2026, making them the most-watched Winter Games since 2014 with a 96% larger audience than the Beijing Games four years ago, as reported by NBCUniversal officials. The impressive viewership numbers include combined audiences on NBC, Peacock, CNBC, USA Network and other digital platforms, covering both live afternoon (2-5 p.m. EST) and prime-time (8-11 p.m. EST/PST) windows. According to the network, these figures are based on Nielsen's Big Data + Panel ratings (through Feb. 19), Nielsen's early figures for the final three days (Feb. 20-22) and digital data from Adobe Analytics. Notably, the United States' dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in men's hockey on February 22, when Jack Hughes scored the golden goal, drew significant attention, though final U.S. viewership numbers for that event were still pending at the time of reporting. The Olympics' success was attributed to several factors, according to NBC's executive producer Molly Solomon, who highlighted the 'stunningly beautiful' settings in Italy, unprecedented access to athletes' lives, and innovative technology including first-person view drones and enhanced audio that 'took the audience inside the stories in fresh, meaningful ways.' Team USA's exceptional performance, marked by their best results at an overseas Olympics, further boosted interest. NBC's February programming, which also included the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game, contributed to the network's success, with Nielsen reporting that 215.6 million U.S. viewers tuned in for at least one of those events, marking the first time a network had all three major sporting events in one month.
🏷️ Themes
Olympic Viewership, Media Coverage, Sports Broadcasting
📚 Related People & Topics
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Original Source
By — Joe Reedy, Associated Press Joe Reedy, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/milan-cortina-olympics-most-watched-winter-games-since-2014 Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Milan Cortina Olympics most-watched Winter Games since 2014 Nation Feb 24, 2026 11:43 PM EST The Milan Cortina Olympics averaged 23.5 million viewers in the United States, making them the most-watched Winter Games since 2014 with a 96% larger audience than the Beijing Games four years ago. NBCUniversal said the average includes combined audiences on NBC, Peacock, CNBC, USA Network and other digital platforms. It covered the live afternoon (2-5 p.m. EST) and prime-time (8-11 p.m. EST/PST) windows. The figures are based on Nielsen's Big Data + Panel ratings (through Feb. 19), Nielsen's early figures for the final three days (Feb. 20-22) and digital data from Adobe Analytics. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Viewership numbers for the United States' 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in men's hockey on Sunday morning were not expected until Tuesday. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said on Monday that 8.7 million were watching in Canada when Jack Hughes scored the golden goal in overtime. "I feel in so many ways that these Winter Olympics exceeded our expectations. We were reminded that the Olympics are the most exciting, unpredictable and biggest stage in sports," said Molly Solomon, the executive producer of NBC's Olympics coverage. "And what I think came together in Italy was that the settings were stunningly beautiful, the access we had to the athletes and their lives was unprecedented. And then you take the technology, the first-person view drones, the audio, and it took the audience inside the stor...
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