Saturday’s Gold Medal triumph for the USA Women’s National Team was a hit for viewership on NBC. With Mallory Swanson scoring the game-winning goal just before the hour mark against Brazil, American supporters watched the USWNT claim their first Gold Medal since the 2012 London Games. Still, the audience for that game may have surprised even NBC.
NBC’s broadcast of that Gold Medal game in Women’s soccer at the Olympics averaged 9 million viewers. That was the highest viewership for a Gold Medal game at the Olympics in women’s soccer since 2004. Moreover, it was not a prime time slot for soccer, either. Although the game was on a Saturday, it kicked off at 11 a.m. ET. That made it available to those watching the Olympics in the morning, but afternoon contests with a 3 p.m. kickoff tend to score better viewership. Regardless, NBC will proudly display this viewership total.
There are plenty of reasons why the USWNT’s win over Brazil would have so many viewers. For one, the United States did not play in the Gold Medal game at the 2016 or 2020 Olympics. In Rio de Janeiro, the Americans fell in the quarterfinals, the side’s worst finish at the Olympics in women’s soccer. Four years later in Tokyo, the USWNT lost to Canada in the semifinals. Bronze Medals are respectable, but the USWNT expects Gold at the Olympics. In 2004, the United States defeated Brazil with a 2 p.m. ET kickoff. Perhaps the slightly more accommodating time for American audiences played a role. The viewership of 9 million for this most recent Gold Medal game incorporates both NBC and Peacock, so far more people watched on traditional TV in 2004.
USA Gold Medal game punctuates strong viewership at the Olympics
Still, there is no hiding how big this viewership is. NBC mentioned its Total Audience Delivery for the final Saturday at the Olympics at 30.7 million viewers. That means the total viewership for Aug. 10 at the Paris Olympics across all platforms surpassed 30 million. With the USWNT accounting for almost one-third of that total, the Americans did well for TV. They rivaled the Total Audience Delivery of the last Saturday at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
This was not exclusive to the Gold Medal game, either. The USWNT pulled major audiences throughout the tournament in its quest to win a Gold Medal for the fifth time. The opening game of the tournament against Germany averaged 4.2 million viewers. That alone was a higher viewership than all games at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Poised for further success in four years
The United States did well both on and off the field at the Paris Olympics in 2024. However, it can still grow. The starting times will not be an issue at the 2028 Summer Olympics when Los Angeles hosts the Games. The USWNT has a fervent supporter base in the United States. As the host nation, the USWNT will have the most favorable kickoff times, and the viewership on NBC will be massive.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
