The Olympic men's hockey gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada was watched by 20.7 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and USA Network, NBC announced on Tuesday.
The average live audience was recorded at 18.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock between 8:15 a.m.-11 a.m. ET. It is the second-most watched hockey game ever on NBC after the 2010 men's gold medal game between the two countries, which Canada won in overtime and drew 27.6 million viewers.
Sixteen years after Sidney Crosby's golden goal, Jack Hughes'overtime winner lifted the U.S. over Canada for their first men's Olympic hockey gold medal since the the 1980 "Miracle on Ice."
Viewers also tuned in for Thursday's U.S. women's gold medal conquest over Canada. According to NBC, the 2-1 overtime victory drew an average of 5.3 million viewers on USA Network and Peacock, peaking at 7.7 million viewers in overtime before Megan Keller's winning goal. It was the most-watched women's hockey game on record, per the network.
The women's gold medal game was part of a massive overall Olympics day for NBC. The network announced that it averaged about 26.7 million viewers in total on Thursday, which made it the largest Winter Games weekday audience since 2014.
The U.S. women's dramatic victory resulted in the program's third gold medal — all against Canada — and first since the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Milan Cortina Olympics earn biggest ratings since 2014
A record-setting performance by Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics drew fantastic ratings. An average of 23.5 million viewers in the United States tuned in to watch Team USA set a national record with 12 gold medals across the event, according to NBC.
That figure was a massive upgrade over the 2022 Olympics, making the Milan Cortina Games the most-watched Winter Olympics since 2014.
That consistent success by Team USA led to consistent viewership across the Olympics. All 15 days of the Games topped 20 million viewers.