AceShowbiz - The Team USA Men's Hockey team captured Olympic gold at the Milan Cortina Winter Games on Sunday, attracting a total TV audience of 20.7 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and USA Network, according to combined data from Nielsen Big Data + Panel and Adobe Analytics via NBCUniversal.

Specifically, the game aired on NBC and Peacock averaged 18.6 million viewers, with a peak of 26 million tuning in for the dramatic overtime goal that secured the victory over Canada. This viewership figure marks a record for any sporting event starting before 9 a.m. ET, the networks’ parent company announced Tuesday.

In addition, this contest ranks as NBC Sports’ second most-watched hockey game ever, trailing only the 2010 Vancouver Olympics men’s gold medal match between the U.S. and Canada, which drew 27.6 million viewers at a more viewer-friendly 3:15 p.m. ET start time.

Streaming also saw significant engagement, with the men’s hockey gold medal game delivering the largest NBC Sports streaming audience excluding NFL events—3.7 million viewers across digital platforms, primarily on Peacock.

Notably, both the United States Women’s and Men’s Hockey Teams defeated Canada in overtime to clinch their respective Olympic gold medals. The women’s gold medal match set a record as the most-watched women’s hockey game ever, averaging 5.3 million viewers across USA Network and Peacock, with viewership peaking at 7.7 million during overtime.

The strong hockey performances contributed to NBCUniversal’s successful broadcast of the Milan Cortina Olympics, which became the most-watched Winter Games in over a decade. Overall viewership rose by 96% compared to the 2022 Beijing Olympics, helped in part by more favorable time zones for U.S. audiences.

Several standout moments featuring U.S. athletes, including the thrilling hockey games, helped to boost interest and draw viewers throughout the Games.