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, per NBCSports.com.
That figure was a massive upgrade over the 2022 Olympics, making the Milan Cortina Games the most-watched Winter Olympics since 2014.
It helped that Team USA was competitive throughout the entire Olympics. The team found itself in surprising contention early, earning a mixed doubles curling medal in the first couple days of the Olympics. It finished out with a gold-medal hockey game by the men's team, which defeated Canada 2-1 in an overtime thriller.
Additionally, some athletes drew eyes and stole the show with their performances and stories of redemption. Though Lindsey Vonn's time at the 2026 Winter Olympics was short, fans were eager to see her compete. While Vonn was unable to secure one more medal, Mikaela Shiffrin came away with some redemption in 2026, winning her first gold since 2018. And toward the end of the Olympics, figure skater Alysa Liu captivated fans with her gold-medal performance and NSFW celebration.
Both the men's and women's hockey teams also kept things interesting, winning nearly identical overtime games vs. Canada to take home gold medals.
That consistent success by Team USA led to consistent viewership across the Olympics. All 15 days of the Games topped 20 million viewers, per NBCSports.com
Whether Team USA can deliver better numbers in 2030 will depend on a myriad of factors, including the talent and athletes who make the 2030 Games, which will be held in the French Alps. With the 2026 Games drawing big numbers, partially due to some niche events standing out more than expected, that viewership momentum could carry over four years later as fans become more familiar with the rules of curling and ski mountaineering, which had a fun debut at the Olympics in 2026.