World news
🏆 The Olympics Push NBC to the Top and Rescue Peacock
For media giant NBCUniversal, the start of 2026 has been historic. Thanks to the “combo” of Super Bowl LX and the Winter Olympics in Milan, total U.S. reach over less than two weeks has surpassed 200 million people.
The average audience for the 2026 Winter Olympics currently stands at 25.7 million viewers, which is double the figure for Beijing 2022 (12.8 million) at the same stage.
These Games have become the most-watched Winter Olympics since Sochi 2014.
Streaming platform Peacock is experiencing the best week in its history. Viewers have already watched 6.3 billion minutes of Olympic content — more than the combined total of the previous two Winter Games.
The recent Super Bowl LX drew 124.9 million viewers, making it the second most-watched TV broadcast in U.S. history. NBCU successfully aligned the NFL finale with the Olympics and the launch of Sunday NBA basketball, creating an unprecedented flow of premium sports content.
For NBCUniversal, these numbers validate its long-term investment strategy. The company holds Olympic rights through 2036, including the upcoming Games in Los Angeles (2028) and Salt Lake City (2034). Success in Milan helps offset the high costs of NBA and NFL rights and strengthens Peacock’s position in the streaming market.
