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Olympics Opening Ceremony Shatters Viewer Records
8 Feb
Summary
- Opening ceremony viewership surged 34% from the previous Winter Games.
- Peacock achieved its most-streamed Winter Games opening ceremony ever.
- Viewer gains are attributed to Peacock's subscriber growth and favorable time difference.
The opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympics achieved a record-breaking viewership, attracting 21.4 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. This represents a substantial 34% increase compared to the opening of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. The spectacular event featured dazzling fireworks, musical performances, and drew significant attention.
Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming platform, reported its most-streamed Winter Games opening ceremony ever, with viewership increasing by nearly six million from Beijing's 15.9 million. This success is bolstered by Peacock's significant subscriber growth, reaching 44 million as of January 2026, and a more convenient six-hour time difference with Milan compared to Beijing's 13-hour difference.
This achievement marks a pivotal moment for Peacock, which launched with the aim of enhancing coverage for the 2020 Olympics. The strong opening night performance has set a positive tone for the remainder of the competition. NBCUniversal holds the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games until 2036.
