The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kicked off with an opening ceremony on Friday that averaged 21.4 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

And NBC will likely get big numbers again on Sunday as the network airs both Super Bowl LX and its Olympics coverage.

European attitudes toward the U.S. have shifted dramatically over the past year, recent polls indicate.

"I was so thrilled to hear that Italy was taking on this Olympics, just because I had such an incredible time in (in 2006)," said White during the broadcast

While the 2026 Winter Olympics started Wednesday, the Opening Ceremony took place Friday in Italy. The U.S. flag bearers were speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca. Jackson, 33, is a three-time Olympian and the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 500 meters.

Maybe it would have been better if Mariah Carey had just belted out “All I Want For Christmas is You” at the 2026 Winter Olympics Games opening ceremony Friday, taken a bow and left it at that. Yes,

The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature eight new medal events. Here’s a full breakdown of every new competition.