2026 Winter Olympics Viewership Nearly Doubles 2022

NBC's coverage averaged over 23 million viewers, with Peacock seeing its best month ever.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina saw a huge increase in viewership compared to the 2022 games, averaging 23.5 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and other NBCUniversal platforms. This nearly doubled the average of 12 million viewers from the 2022 Winter Olympics. The games became the most streamed Winter Olympics ever, with 16.7 billion minutes of streaming time, more than double the previous record. Peacock also had its best month ever in February thanks to the Olympics coverage.

Why it matters

The strong viewership numbers for the 2026 Winter Olympics demonstrate the continued popularity of the games, even as viewing habits shift more towards streaming. The boost in Peacock subscribers and engagement is also a win for NBCUniversal as it looks to grow its streaming platform.

The details

NBCUniversal's coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics averaged over 23 million viewers, combining live afternoon telecasts on NBC and Peacock as well as primetime replays. This was nearly double the average of 12 million viewers for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The 2026 games became the most streamed Winter Olympics ever, with 16.7 billion minutes of streaming time, more than double the previous record. Peacock, NBC's streaming platform, had its best month ever in February thanks to the Olympics coverage, which accounted for about 14% of the total viewership.

  • The 2026 Winter Olympics took place from February 6-23, 2026.
  • The opening ceremony was held on February 6, 2026.
  • The women's hockey gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada was on February 21, 2026.

The players

NBCUniversal

The media company that owns and operates NBC, Peacock, and other television and streaming platforms, and held the broadcast rights to the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Peacock

NBCUniversal's streaming platform that carried live and on-demand coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Rick Cordelia

President of NBC Sports, who praised the cooperation across Comcast NBCUniversal that enabled the success of the 2026 Winter Olympics coverage.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The success of the Milan Cortina Olympics, Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara and the 2026 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles could not have happened without the enormous cooperation and support from across Comcast NBCUniversal — including Peacock, NBC Entertainment, NBC News, Telemundo, local owned-stations, NBC affiliates, our exceptional ad sales and distribution teams, and Xfinity. And, of course, our great partners at the IOC, USOPC, NFL and NBA.”

— Rick Cordelia, President, NBC Sports (The Hollywood Reporter)

The takeaway

The strong viewership numbers for the 2026 Winter Olympics, including record-breaking streaming numbers on Peacock, demonstrate the continued popularity of the games and the importance of NBCUniversal's multi-platform coverage strategy in attracting viewers across linear TV and digital platforms.