2026 Olympic gold medal game becomes most-watched women’s hockey game ever in USA

It wasn’t just one of the best games ever played; it was also the most-watched south of the border.

According to NBC Sports PR, the women’s Olympic gold medal game between the United States and Canada was the most-viewed women’s hockey game in American history. Per a release, 7.7 million people were tuned in to the network’s feed when Megan Keller scored in overtime, giving Team USA a 2-1 win, earning the team its third gold medal in the sport.

NBC Sports PR reported that an average audience of 5.3 million witnessed a classic battle between two of sport’s greatest rivals. It was a tightly-contested matchup that saw the U.S. comeback from a late deficit, with captain Hilary Knight scoring the tying goal in the waning minutes of regulation, before Keller played the hero in the extra frame.

The ratings for the Canadian coverage have yet to be reported. The record for the most-watched women’s hockey game took place during the 2010 final in Vancouver, when an average audience of 7.5 million watched Canada beat the U.S. 2-0 to win a third straight gold medal.

Many pegged this year’s women’s hockey tournament as one of the biggest of all time. The sport’s popularity has continued to rise over the past several years, but the arrival of the Professional Women’s Hockey League has driven interest in the game, as fans can see the best players in the world compete every night. The league’s presence only heightened anticipation for what turned out to be an exciting two weeks of competition.

Thursday’s win capped off an incredible tournament for the Americans. The team went undefeated at the Winter Games for the first time since the inaugural tournament in Nagano in 1998, outscoring the competition 33-2. Along with dominant performances from Caroline Havey, Laila Edwards and Aerin Frankel, the U.S. set an Olympic record for the longest shutout streak, not giving up a goal for 352:17 of game time.