NBCUniversal has wrapped up its coverage of the Milan Cortina Olympics, which saw Team USA clinch a record-breaking 12 gold medals. The 17-day event was a shining success for NBCUniversal, with the company reporting that this was the most-watched Winter Olympics in the U.S. since 2014.
The Winter Games coverage this year, which included 3,200 hours of programming and 116 events, averaged an impressive 23.5 million viewers across various platforms such as NBC, Peacock, NBCUniversal’s digital platforms, and Versant’s USA Network and CNBC. This marked the best performance for a Winter Games since the Sochi Games in 2014 and was a significant increase from the Beijing Winter Games in 2022.
All 15 competition days during the Winter Games averaged over 20 million viewers, with the “Milan Prime” and “Primetime in Milan” slots attracting 3.3 million viewers daily via streaming on Peacock and NBCU digital platforms. Notable events like the USA women’s hockey team’s victory over Canada garnered record-breaking viewership, with 5.3 million viewers tuning in on USA Network and Peacock.
In terms of local markets, Milwaukee led the pack with a 13.7 rating/49 share, followed by Minneapolis and Fort Myers, Fla. In the realm of social media, NBCU’s content for the Milan Cortina Olympics generated a whopping 4.28 billion impressions across NBC Sports social channels, showing a significant increase compared to previous Olympic Games.
Molly Solomon, the executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production, expressed her excitement about the unexpected ways in which these Olympics captured the audience’s imagination. She highlighted the stunning settings, advanced technology, and unparalleled access to athletes as key factors that made the event a success. Additionally, Gary Zenkel, NBC Olympics president, emphasized the strong viewership numbers and hinted at the anticipation for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
The Winter Olympics marked the culmination of what NBCU dubbed as “Legendary February,” which also included the Super Bowl LX and the NBA All-Star Game. Rick Cordella, NBC Sports president, praised the team for delivering a memorable month of sports events to audiences across various platforms.
Peacock, NBCU’s streaming service, also saw a boost in viewership during the Winter Olympics, with some of its highest-usage days and largest reach days coinciding with the event. Overall, the Milan Cortina Olympics proved to be a major success for NBCUniversal, setting the stage for future Olympic Games and further solidifying its position as a leading media provider for sports events.
