Why USA Women’s Hockey Drove Milan Cortina Primetime Coverage

Forbes Business

by Lindsey Darvin, Contributor

February 26, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics marked a historic milestone in sports broadcasting, with women’s sports receiving more primetime coverage than men’s for the sixth consecutive Olympiad. A new report revealed that NBC’s primetime broadcasts allocated 42.43% of airtime to women’s events compared to 41.33% for men’s, with mixed events accounting for 16.24%. Excluding mixed events, women’s sports led by a narrow majority (50.65%) versus men’s (49.35%). Over 18 nights of coverage, women’s sports garnered 20 minutes and 28 seconds more primetime airtime than men’s. This shift reflects a growing trend in Olympic broadcasting, where women’s events are increasingly treated as must-watch programming. The USA–Canada women’s hockey gold medal game on February 19 became a defining moment, averaging 5.3 million viewers across USA Network and Peacock, peaking at 7.7 million during overtime as the U.S. secured victory. This made it the most-watched women’s hockey game in history, surpassing previous Olympic finals. The report highlights how the Olympics continue to challenge traditional norms of sports media coverage, where women’s sports are often marginalized. Paul J. MacArthur, co-author of the report, noted that NBC’s primetime broadcasts remain an outlier by prioritizing women’s sports on one of its most valuable platforms. This approach has proven successful, with the 2026 Winter Olympics drawing 24.1 million average daily viewers—its highest since the 2014 Sochi Games. For businesses and media outlets, this trend underscores the importance of rethinking how women’s sports are covered to attract diverse audiences. NBC’s data shows that prioritizing women’s events can drive higher ratings and engagement, as seen with the record-breaking hockey final. The success of women’s sports in primetime coverage not only challenges outdated narratives but also sets a precedent for more equitable representation across the industry. Ultimately, the Olympics are demonstrating how shifting focus to women’s achievements on the field—and in media—can pay off. By treating women’s events as central to the narrative and investing in their coverage, networks like NBC are reshaping public perception and setting a new standard for sports broadcasting that could

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Originally published on Forbes Business on 2/26/2026