RATING RISE
LeBron James and USWNT stars deliver ratings spike for NBC with highest basketball gold medal viewership in 28 years
Team USA soccer and basketball both won gold medals
TEAM USA basketball saw a massive spike in viewership for NBC during the Olympics.
Both the men's and women's basketball teams took home gold at the Paris Olympics, and NBC is seeing the benefits from it.
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The network announced on Sunday that Team USA's win over France averaged 19.5 million viewers on NBC and Peacock.
The viewership made it the most-watched gold-medal game since 1996.
The stream peaked at nearly 23 million viewers during the exciting matchup.
High viewership likely came from a thrilling matchup, which saw France keep the game close until the end.
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Steph Curry put up an incredible performance, draining three after three to pull away from France in the final minutes and capture gold.
He made eight three-point shots in the final for 24 points.
"Before every shot you take, you think it's going in," Curry said of his final three-point heave.
"All I saw was the rim. I didn't see who was in front of me.
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"I knew it was kind of a late clock situation, but that one impressed myself."
The men's basketball team wasn't the only American squad pulling in viewers for NBC, though.
LeBron James rushed to locker room after brutal shot to face during Paris Olympics as USA star is seen wincing in pain
The women's soccer team produced a 1-0 win over Brazil in the gold-medal match, and averaged over 9 million viewers.
It was the most watched gold-medal soccer game since 2004.
That game was also helped out from a tight matchup, with Team USA barely holding on for a 1-0 win.
Star striker Mallory Swanson scored the winning goal early in the second half, and Team USA was left to defend Brazil for what felt like an eternity.
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was the real hero of the match, though, producing multiple stunning saves to maintain the lead.
She stopped a shot in stoppage time during the second half to secure the win for Team USA.
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The ratings boon is huge for NBC, as it saw poor ratings during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were hampered due to Covid-19.
This time around, numbers are up across the board, and Paris looks like a smashing success.
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