USA vs. Canada Crushes TV Viewership Numbers

The meeting between the United States and Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off did not disappoint and the viewership followed.

Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada goalie Jordan Binnington (50) stops Team United States forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The meeting between the United States and Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off was one of the most highly anticipated matchups in hockey in recent memory and it didn’t disappoint. After three fights in the first nine seconds, Team USA went on to defeat heated rival Team Canada by a score of 3-1 to seal their spot in the 4 Nations championship game.

People had been waiting a long time for best-on-best international hockey, and Team USA against Team Canada turned into must-watch television. According to ESPN, the meeting between USA and Canada averaged 4.4 million viewers in the United States alone.

Last night’s #4Nations game between the U.S. and Canada averaged 4.4 million viewers in the U.S. on ABC, according to Nielsen fast national data. It peaked at 5.2 million. Most-viewed non-Stanley Cup Final hockey telecast since 2019.

— Alex M. Silverman🏒⚽️ (@AlexMSilverman) February 16, 2025

Nielson Fast National data has the game’s peak viewership hitting 5.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final game since 2019.

Those viewership numbers don’t even include the ESPN+ streaming service, the likely massive number of viewers from Canada, or the worldwide audience.

The Hockey News’ Max Miller also notes that the San Francisco/Bay Area could only view the game via ESPN+ thanks to a prior commitment to the Lunar New Year Parade.

ESPN notes that the United States vs Canada game caught 369% more viewers than their average NHL on ABC telecast this season. It also had +473% viewership from the USA vs. Canada World Cup of Hockey Game in 2016.

Adding to the drama of the event, the United States ended a 26-game winning streak held by Team Canada in best-on-best international play. Canada had never lost an international game where they had Sidney Crosby serving as their captain.

The last time Canada lost a best-on-best game was during the round-robin stage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Ironically, that was a loss to the United States, as well.

Those viewership numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. While the United States set themselves up in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, Canada still has a chance to set up a rematch.

If Canada can defeat Team Finland in regulation, they will claim the second spot in the championship game. If the round-robin game between USA and Canada maxed out at 5.2 million viewers, it’s safe to say a championship game between the two would see even more inflated numbers.

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