The gold-medal match between Team USA and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina drew an average audience of 26 million viewers in the United States across NBC and Peacock a striking performance for a sporting event that began at 8:15 a.m. ET on a Sunday morning.
• Nielsen ratings and analytics show that the broadcast peaked in viewership as Americans tuned in to watch Jack Hughes score the overtime winning goal, which clinched the USA’s first Olympic men’s hockey gold since the historic Miracle on Ice victory in 1980.
• While the average of 26 million represents a monumental audience, more detailed breakdowns show that the live telecast between 8:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET averaged about 18.6 million viewers, with total combined viewership across NBC, Peacock and encore presentations (including USA Network) reaching about 20.7 million.
Historic Context — How Big Were These Numbers?
• Though the 26 million peak does not quite surpass the 27.6 million that watched the 2010 Vancouver Olympics men’s hockey final also between the U.S. and Canada it remains the second-most-watched hockey game in NBC Sports history and a rare achievement for a pre-9 a.m. U.S. broadcast.
• According to Nielsen data, this game became the most-watched U.S. sporting event ever with a start time before 9 a.m. Eastern, underscoring just how many Americans were glued to their screens despite an early Sunday slot.
• At the very moment Hughes fired home the golden goal in overtime, the combined North American audience including viewers in Canada approached nearly 35 million, with about 8.7 million Canadian viewers tuning in during that climactic period.
Implications for U.S. Television and Olympic Coverage
• The viewership surge reflects not just an isolated triumph in men’s hockey but also a broader upswing for the 2026 Winter Olympics in the United States. Across the two-week event, NBC reported an average of 23.5 million U.S. viewers, a 96 percent increase from the 2022 Beijing Olympics and the highest Winter Games audience since 2014.
• This strong TV performance is noteworthy in an era of increasingly fragmented sports audiences, where streaming, social media highlights and on-demand viewing have often diluted live ratings. That such high numbers were achieved especially for a morning start highlights the emotional engagement Americans had with this hockey final.
• For NBC and its streaming partner Peacock, the figures underline the continuing value of live event broadcasting in an evolving media landscape. The gold-medal game’s ratings success will likely be cited as evidence of the enduring appeal of marquee Olympic moments in the U.S. sports calendar.
Why It Resonated: A National Moment
• At the heart of the viewership surge was a matchup steeped in rivalry and narrative: the USA vs. Canada men’s hockey final a fixture with deep cultural resonance in North America and a long Olympic history.
• The significance of the victory ending a 46-year Olympic gold drought for the U.S. men’s hockey team added emotional weight that likely drew in casual and dedicated viewers alike.
• Analysts note that the combination of a storied rivalry, a dramatic overtime finish and a breakout national hero in Jack Hughes created a perfect broadcast storm that translated into exceptional ratings.
Broad Cultural Impact Beyond the Rink
• Many observers believe the ratings success will boost interest in hockey across the United States, particularly among younger fans who may have been introduced to the sport through the Olympics.
• High viewership figures for Olympic events can also translate into greater sponsorship and advertising opportunities for both broadcasters and national governing bodies, which could, in turn, lead to expanded coverage and development initiatives for the sport.
• The performance of the men’s gold medal game complements an already strong Winter Games narrative that saw other compelling storylines — from thrilling figure skating performances to dramatic curling matches resonate with the U.S. public throughout the fortnight.
The Numbers at a Glance
| Metric | U.S. Television Audience |
|---|---|
| Average viewership across NBC & Peacock | ~26 million peak audience |
| Live telecast (8:15–11 a.m. ET) average | ~18.6 million |
| Total combined with encores | ~20.7 million |
| North American peak viewership (including Canada) | ~35 million |
| Most-watched pre-9 a.m. sporting event in U.S. history | Yes |
| NBC Sports’ second-most watched hockey broadcast ever | Yes |
In summary: The United States’ 2–1 overtime win over Canada in the men’s hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics was not just a historic sporting achievement — it also became a television phenomenon in the U.S., averaging 26 million viewers and setting new benchmarks for morning broadcast audiences.
