NBCUniversal Averages 21.4 Million Viewers For Milan Cortina Olympics Opening Ceremony on NBC and Peacock - Up 34% From 2022 Winter Games

NBCUniversal’s presentation of the spectacular Milan Cortina Olympics Opening Ceremony from four locations in Italy averaged 21.4 million viewers on NBC and Peacock – up 34% from the Opening Ceremony from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, according to preliminary data from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

With coverage live in the afternoon (“Milan Prime”) followed by a special primetime presentation, the Opening Ceremony audience of 21.4 million viewers on NBC and Peacock was nearly six million viewers larger than the Beijing Opening Ceremony (15.9 million).

“We are off to a strong start with Friday’s captivating Opening Ceremony highlighted by the historic cities, the scenic mountain areas, and the Parade of Athletes,” said Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports. “The Opening Ceremony audience exceeded our expectations, and we can’t wait for the next two weeks of competition.”

Peacock Drives Streaming Records

The Opening Ceremony was the most-streamed for any Winter Games, averaging more than 3.0 million viewers.

Led by Peacock, Milan Cortina Olympics streaming consumption across NBCUniversal platforms exceeded 700 million minutes through Friday – most ever for a Winter Games and 2.5 times greater than the 2022 Beijing Olympics through the comparable time frame. 

Primetime Opening Ceremony Boosts Late Night

Last night’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which followed primetime Opening Ceremony coverage, was the show’s most-watched telecast since Thanksgiving, averaging 2.3 million viewers.

Brands in Opening Ceremony Earn Record Campaign Impact

The Milan Olympics Opening Ceremony delivered the highest search engagement rate ever for advertisers in an Olympics Opening Ceremony (summer or winter), up +63% vs. Beijing 2022 and up +26% vs. Paris 2024. The event also outpaced other premium TV properties - viewers were +97% more likely to search for brands who advertised in the Opening Ceremony than those in major league sports and +84% more likely to search vs. primetime TV. (Source: EDO, Linear, Primetime)  

Official Nielsen Big Data + Panel viewership will be available on Tuesday.

NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2036, which are scheduled for Milan Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028), French Alps (2030), Brisbane (2032), Utah (2034), and the 2036 Summer Games. Click here for more information on how to watch the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.