NBC Olympics Double Daily TV Audience to 23.5 Million Viewers

Article content(Bloomberg) — About 23.5 million people on average tuned in to watch daily coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Comcast Corp.’s NBC network and other company outlets such as Peacock, the most in 12 years and almost double the number who watched four years ago.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle contentThe total was based on afternoon and evening sessions broadcast by NBC, according to a statement Monday. The audience was the largest for a Winter Games since Sochi in 2014 and up 96% from the 2022 Beijing Olympics.Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article contentComcast aired the games on its NBC broadcast network and Peacock streaming service, as well as USA Network and CNBC, which were spun off earlier this year as part of Versant Media Group Inc. Peacock had its best month ever.Article contentArticle contentThe Winter Olympics typically have lower viewership than their summer counterpart, and this year’s Games in Italy’s Milan and Cortina were no exception. The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris had an average audience of 30.6 million. Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentComcast made the Winter Olympics part of its “Legendary February” event, a streak of high-profile live broadcasts that the company scooped up as part of an $8 billion spending spree on sports rights. Earlier this month, NBC aired the Super Bowl, which scored around 125 million viewers, a 2% decline from last year, and the National Basketball Association’s All-Star Game, which had its biggest viewership since 2011 with an average audience of 8.8 million. Article contentFor the Olympics, Comcast borrowed from its Paris playbook, such as hiring rapper Snoop Dogg as an on-air correspondent and airing Gold Zone, a daily program that featured major events. Fans could tune into Peacock to view over 850 live events over the 17-day period. The platform also included features like a trivia game, a medal count hub and the ability to switch to different camera views during skating events.Article contentArticle contentThe US had its own share of success at the games, finishing second behind Norway with 33 medals overall. Article contentAlysa Liu topped the podium in women’s figure skating, ending a 24-year gold medal drought in the category. Both the US women’s and men’s hockey teams defeated Canada to capture gold, with National Hockey League players allowed to compete in the Olympics for the first time in over a decade.

Speedskater Jordan Stolz won three medals at the games, while skier Mikaela Shiffrin won gold in the slalom, her first Olympic medal since 2018. Article contentThe Games also had several viral moments, including a performance by singer Mariah Carey during the Opening Ceremonies, a Norwegian biathlete who confessed to cheating on his girlfriend in an on-air interview after winning bronze and the surprise appearance of a dog crossing the finish line in a cross-country ski race. Article contentThe next Olympics will be the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, while the 2030 Winter Olympics will take place in the French Alps. Article contentTrending Posthaste: Forget tariffs, here's how Trump is really making money off Canada News IBM shares plunge as Anthropic touts COBOL modernization efforts Innovation Mexico Visitors Shaken as Cartel Death Fueled Travel Chaos PMN Business Subscriber only. Garry Marr: There's a great divide in Canada's office real estate market and it's creating big winners and big losers Subscriber only Commercial Real Estate Loblaw plans $2.4-billion investment in 2026, including 70 new stores Retail & Marketing Share this article in your social networkCommentsYou must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.Create an AccountSign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Posthaste: Forget tariffs, here's how Trump is really making money off Canada News IBM shares plunge as Anthropic touts COBOL modernization efforts Innovation Mexico Visitors Shaken as Cartel Death Fueled Travel Chaos PMN Business Subscriber only. Garry Marr: There's a great divide in Canada's office real estate market and it's creating big winners and big losers Subscriber only Commercial Real Estate Loblaw plans $2.4-billion investment in 2026, including 70 new stores Retail & Marketing