USA vs. Canada 4 Nations Face-Off Title Game Draws Record 9.3M Viewers

A record number of viewers tuned into Team USA and Team Canada's Thursday night battle for the 4 Nations Face-Off title.

The ESPN broadcast drew 9.3 million viewers, setting a network record for any hockey game and an ESPN+ record for any non-NFL event, according to ESPN PR.

Sportsnet meanwhile reported an average of 5.7 million viewers, making it the second-most watched hockey game ever broadcasted by the Canadian network.

NHL PR reported a total of 16.1 million viewers watching the game across North America.

According to the NHL, the game was the most-watched game on U.S. cable since September 2024 outside of NFL and college football games or presidential election coverage.

Connor McDavid scored in Thursday night's overtime to lead Canada to a 3-2 championship win at Boston's TD Garden.

The game marked the first time USA and Canada's men's hockey teams had met with a title on the line since Sidney Crosby scored in overtime of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

The contest also marked the second time these two rivals met during the first 4 Nations Face-Off.

Last week's Round Robin meeting between USA and Canada in Montreal also drew record viewership numbers to both ESPN, which reported an average of 4.4 million viewers, and Sportsnet, which reported an average viewership of 4.7 million.

Both games attracted more viewers than the average Stanley Cup playoff game. The 2024 postseason brought in an average of 1.54 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS and truTV, according to Sports Business Journal's Austin Karp.

The apparent interest of American and Canadian audiences in the 4 Nations Face-Off is a good sign for the NHL's plans to continue placing players in international tournaments over the next few years.

After more than a decade away from the Olympics, NHL players are set to return to the 2026 Milano Cortina Games. Two years later, the World Cup of Hockey will feature at least eight teams when the fourth edition of the event takes place in 2028.