Snowboarding Soars in Popularity at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Viewership Up 93%

MILAN — The U.S. Figure skating team defended its Olympic crown, winning a gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Games this week. American Chloe Kim, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, secured a silver medal in the women’s halfpipe event, whereas South Korea’s Gaon Choi took gold. Snowboarding and figure skating continue to draw the most fan interest among Winter Olympic sports, according to pre-Games surveys.

Snowboarding Leads in Fan Interest

A recent survey by Reviews.org, which polled 1,000 Americans, found that snowboarding is the most popular Winter Olympic sport to watch, with 62% of respondents expressing interest. Reviews.org conducted the market research.

Since its debut in 1998, snowboarding has evolved from a novelty event to a cornerstone of the Winter Games. This year’s program features 11 events, including men’s and women’s halfpipe, parallel giant slalom, snowboardcross, big air, slopestyle and mixed team snowboardcross.

Top 5 Most Popular Winter Olympic Sports

Following snowboarding, the most popular sports among American viewers are:

• Ski jumping (58%)
• Figure skating (56%)
• Hockey (54%)
• Speed skating (53%)

State-by-State Popularity

Reviews.org also identified the most popular sport by state. Snowboarding dominated the West, ranking first in California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Vermont, and Wyoming. Interestingly, bobsledding was the top choice in Utah, potentially due to the presence of the Utah Olympic Park bobsled, luge, and skeleton track in Park City.

Here’s a breakdown of the most popular sport in each state:

• Curling: 13 states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia)
• Figure skating: 10 states (Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia)
• Snowboarding: 7 states (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Vermont, Wyoming)
• Luge: 6 states (Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Rhode Island, South Carolina)
• Short-track speedskating: 2 states (Illinois, New Hampshire)
• Ice hockey: 1 state (Minnesota)
• Biathlon: 1 state (Montana)
• Bobsled: 2 states (Oregon, Utah)
• Speedskating: 1 state (Wisconsin)

Viewing Trends: Streaming Surpasses Cable

A Seton Hall Sports poll of 1,596 U.S. Adults showed similar results, with figure skating appealing to 59% of Olympic fans and 53% of female fans. Snowboarding garnered 42% of Olympic fans, 26% of male fans, and 27% of female fans, according to ESPN.

72% of Americans plan to watch the Milan Cortina Games, but viewing habits are shifting. While cable TV remains a popular option, social media has overtaken it as the primary method for following the action, with 64% of respondents planning to catch clips on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

• 64% plan to watch the Olympics via social media clips
• 59% plan to watch coverage on traditional TV or cable
• 57% plan to watch coverage on a streaming service or app
• 35% plan to watch free, over-the-air coverage via their local NBC station

Viewership Up Significantly

NBC reported Thursday that viewership of the Milan Cortina Olympics is up substantially—93%—over the first five days compared to the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. Front Office Sports reports that U.S. Coverage is averaging 26.5 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, other NBCUniversal digital platforms, and Versant’s CNBC and USA Networks. This represents the most-watched Winter Games at this point since the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.