The NBA All-Star Game returned to NBC for the first time in nearly a quarter century and immediately produced the kind of audience the network hoped would validate its investment in reclaiming league rights.
NBC Sports announced that Sunday night’s 2026 NBA All-Star Game, built around the revamped USA vs. The World concept, averaged 8.8 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, according to preliminary Nielsen figures and Adobe Analytics digital data.
That total represents the largest All-Star audience since 2011 and an 87% jump from last year’s 4.7 million viewers.
The broadcast peaked at 9.8 million viewers between 7:00 and 7:15 p.m. ET as Team USA secured a 48-45 win over the World squad, capping a tightly contested finish that kept viewers engaged deep into the window. The audience spike coincided with the final possessions of the game, a sign that the new format delivered competitive tension that recent exhibitions have struggled to maintain.
Anthony Edwards earned MVP honors after scoring 32 points and adding nine rebounds and three assists for the victorious Americans, while Victor Wembanyama poured in 33 points with eight rebounds and two blocks for the international side. The star power, combined with national pride as a storyline, gave NBC a narrative hook it aggressively promoted throughout the week.
The All-Star broadcast also benefited from strategic scheduling. NBC placed the game between extensive coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, creating a sports-heavy Sunday that kept viewers within the NBCUniversal ecosystem for much of the day. Olympic coverage in the live afternoon window and primetime combined to average 26.6 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, CNBC and USA Network.
Through Sunday, nine of the first 10 days of Winter Olympics coverage surpassed 20 million viewers, according to official Nielsen Big Data + Panel measurements and preliminary figures. Overall, the Milan Cortina Games are averaging 24.5 million viewers across NBCUniversal platforms, marking the strongest Winter Olympics performance at this stage since the 2014 Sochi Games.
Streaming continues to play a central role in that growth. Peacock has helped drive a record 10.3 billion minutes streamed for the Milan Cortina Olympics, a figure nearly 50% higher than the combined total of all previous Winter Games.
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