NBC's substantial gamble on securing U.S. media rights to the Olympics through 2032 for $7.75 billion is now appearing as a shrewd business move, with the Milan Winter Games delivering a significant viewership boost. Many had questioned the wisdom of this 2014 decision four years ago, but those doubts are fading as NBC experiences its most-watched Winter Games in 12 years.
Viewership Surge and Strategic Shifts
According to data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, NBC averaged 24 million viewers across its prime afternoon coverage (2-5 p.m. EST) and primetime slots in Milan (8-11 p.m. EST and PST) through Friday. This represents a remarkable 94% improvement over the 2022 Beijing Games, marking the second consecutive Olympics where audiences have returned in large numbers, following an 82% increase for the 2024 Paris Summer Games compared to Tokyo.
Complete figures for the 17-day event, including the United States' dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in men's hockey on Sunday morning, are set to be released on Monday. "I think that the Paris Games deserve a lot of the credit for rejuvenating that interest and enthusiasm, and some of that momentum continued through to Milan," stated NBC Sports President Rick Cordella from Milan.
Innovative Coverage Approaches
Molly Solomon, NBC's president and executive producer for the Olympics, and her team have been instrumental in revamping the network's coverage strategy post-Beijing. Rather than delaying key sports until primetime, events were broadcast live via streaming alongside NBC's network and cable channels. The primetime show was redesigned to highlight major events with enhanced interviews and analysis, supplementing content viewers might have seen earlier in the day.
"How do we best make sure that we are continuing to tell the story (of athletes) after they leave the venues? I do think that one of the improvements we made from our Paris coverage was to follow the athletes to their after-parties and reunions with their friends and families," explained Solomon, who oversees coverage from NBC Sports' headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. "When Alex Ferreira won (the gold medal in men's halfpipe), we went to the bar where he was celebrating. There was a Team USA celebration for Mikaela Shiffrin, where we were there for the toast, and she talked about not being able to help Breezy Johnson get on the platform. These athletes trusted us to have our cameras there, and I do think it made for even richer storytelling and taking the audience there."
Streaming Success and U.S. Performance
NBC adopted a format long used in other countries while responding to viewer demands for change. Although the network has streamed all Olympic sports since the 2012 London Games, the launch of Peacock in 2020 marked a significant leap. Through Friday, 14.8 billion minutes of the Milan Games were streamed in the U.S., more than doubling the total for all prior Winter Games combined (6.9 billion).
Viewer gains are also attributed to the U.S. team's improved performance, which had underperformed in Tokyo and Beijing—games held in restricted environments with mostly empty venues due to COVID-19. For instance, Thursday's overtime win by the U.S. in women's hockey over Canada and Alysa Liu's gold medal in figure skating averaged 26.7 million viewers across NBC, USA Network, Peacock, and other digital platforms.
USA Network and Peacock averaged 5.3 million viewers for the gold-medal hockey game, making it the most-watched women's hockey game on record, peaking at 7.7 million during overtime when Megan Keller scored the winning goal. "It was truly a golden hour. We popped between control rooms, and you just never know what's going to happen," Solomon remarked. "The energy in our control rooms on site, we couldn't believe the confluence of drama and excitement, but that really is what the Olympics is about. It's unpredictable, thrilling, and it just coincided in the golden 64 minutes."
Future Prospects and Long-Term Strategy
NBC is positioned to maintain this momentum for upcoming games. The 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles will feature wall-to-wall live coverage throughout the day, while the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps will see NBC revert to the successful coverage formula from Paris and Milan. The 2032 Summer Games in Brisbane, Australia, may pose challenges due to overnight events in the U.S., but the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City are expected to offer another live Olympics experience.
NBC holds the rights to the Olympics through 2036, having agreed to the 2034 and 2036 Games last year for $3 billion. "Paris begets Milan, and Milan will beget LA. I think the Olympics are just unique in many respects," Cordella added. "The U.S.-Swiss curling match, there are hundreds of thousands of people online streaming. They're seeking it out and watching these matchups of these athletes; they probably didn't know about them before the Olympics began. It's compelling TV, and that's kind of what the Olympics does."
