NBC’s Olympics Bet Hits Jackpot with Massive Viewership

Viewership for NBCUniversal’s Milan Cortina Winter Olympics is nearly double the 2022 Games, driven by record-breaking streaming on Peacock and a more convenient European time zone.

• Peacock takes the podium: The streaming service has become the main event, with NBCUniversal announcing Peacock has already delivered 6.3 billion minutes of Olympics content. That figure eclipses the streaming totals for the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games combined.

• A timely assist: The ratings rebound gets a huge assist from the clock. At just six hours ahead of the U.S. East Coast, Milan’s schedule is a welcome change from the 13-hour-plus gap for recent Games in Asia that hampered live viewing.

The strong Olympic performance validates NBCUniversal's strategy of bundling major live sporting events, with the company reporting that its "Legendary February" programming has reached over 200 million Americans. But while the Olympics are soaring, not every major event saw a ratings spike, with Super Bowl LX viewership seeing a slight dip.