Record-Breaking 9.3 Million Tune In for U.S.-Canada 4 Nations Face-Off Final, Making It the Most-Watched NHL Game in Years

Imagine a thrilling showdown between two powerhouse hockey nations, where the stakes are raised by significant geopolitical elements, leading to a dramatic finish with a legendary overtime goal from the game’s finest player. This scenario equals unprecedented viewership — and that’s exactly what unfolded during Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory over the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Boston on Thursday.

According to Nielsen, the match captivated an incredible 9.3 million viewers on ESPN. For context, this figure surpasses the 8.9 million viewers who tuned in for Game 7 of the 2019 NHL Finals, where Boston faced off against St. Louis, marking the most-viewed NHL game since the league made its return to broadcast television in 1995.

In Canada, Sportsnet reported an average viewership of 5.7 million, peaking at 7.3 million when Connor McDavid clinched the overtime win. Additionally, Adam Seaborn from Better Collective noted that 1.18 million viewers watched the game on TVA, bringing the average to nearly seven million. Given Canada’s population of 40 million, this is a remarkable achievement.

When aggregating viewership from both countries, the total audience for the game exceeded 16 million across North America.

Earlier in the tournament, the highly anticipated matchup where the United States defeated Canada 3-1 in an action-packed game in Montreal averaged 4.4 million viewers on ABC, peaking at 5.2 million during the 10:45 PM quarter-hour. This previously set the record for the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final hockey broadcast in the U.S. since a playoff game between the Blue Jackets and Bruins in 2019, which had an average of 4.5 million viewers. The NHL reported a combined North American audience of 10.1 million for that Saturday’s event.

This tournament has clearly highlighted the enthusiasm for best-on-best matchups among hockey fans, many of whom have long been anticipating such high-stakes encounters. The next opportunity for these thrilling matchups will come at the Olympic Games next year in Cortina-Milan.