Milan Cortina Olympics opening ceremony draws 21M viewers
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Rings form the Olympic emblem during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 6, 2026. Photo: Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images
The opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Olympics drew over 21 million viewers for NBC and Peacock on Friday.
Why it matters: This year's Winter Games kick off what's expected to be a ratings bonanza for NBC's "Legendary February," during which it will broadcast the Olympics, Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game.
- While the Paris Olympics in 2024 broke records for NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock, the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing was marked by sharp viewership declines coming out of the pandemic.
Zoom in: Friday's opening ceremony attracted 21.4 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, according to preliminary data from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.
- That's up 34% from the 15.9 million people who watched the opening ceremony in Beijing, per NBC.
What they're saying: "The Opening Ceremony audience exceeded our expectations, and we can't wait for the next two weeks of competition," NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said in a statement.
The big picture: NBC is looking to build on its success in Paris and deliver strong ratings, which would help justify the cost of its long-term deal to broadcast the Olympics.
- Comcast NBCU struck a $7.65 billion deal with the International Olympic Committee in 2014 to broadcast the games through 2032.
- Last March, the company extended its Olympic rights deal through 2036 for $3 billion.
- Like Paris, NBC and Peacock will air live coverage during the day and broadcast more curated programming during traditional primetime hours.
What to watch: Viewership of the opening ceremony often serves as an early signal of how well the Olympics will perform on TV over the two weeks of competition.
- The Milan Cortina Olympics run through close Feb. 22.
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