In an age of declining TV ratings for leagues like the NBA, as they grow rapidly on social media and new-age mediums, USA Basketball set a 2000s record for viewership during the Paris 2024 men's basketball final between the USA and France. NBC has released data that indicates 19.5 million average viewers were watching the Gold medal game , the most since the 1996 Olympics.
"The U.S. Men’s Basketball Team’s down to-the-wire 98-87 victory over France averaged 19.5 million viewers on NBC and Peacock to rank as the most-watched gold medal game since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, based on fast national data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. The game peaked at 22.7 million viewers from 5-5:15 p.m. ET as Team USA pulled away for the win."
The 2024 'Avengers' were led by LeBron James , Stephen Curry , and Kevin Durant , with the stars having an stacked roster behind them.
The 1996 Olympics featured a Team USA roster led by 1992 stars such as Charles Barkley , Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen , John Stockton, David Robinson, and more. Their Gold medal game against Yugoslavia averaged 25.6 million viewers, taking place in the golden age of sports broadcasting on TV and in the post-Cold War embers which made a US-Yugoslavia matchup politically interesting as well.
Team USA's victory over France was a culmination of one of the most famous Team USA rosters of all time, only rivaled by the 1992 Dream Team led by Michael Jordan , Magic Johnson , and Larry Bird .
The 1992 Gold medal game was reported to have brought in over 24 million viewers, but the one-sided nature of the matchup caused the game to be removed from coverage as it was going on, with events such as swimming and track-and-field prioritized, which also resulted in higher ratings for NBC .
The 2024 USA Team Had An Immaculate Run
There has been a lot of debate and needless criticism of the performances of the 2024 Team USA, but they played in an age of international parity that's never been seen before. International basketball will only become more challenging for Team USA going forward, with the close games that ' The Avengers ' had to go through proving those points.
Ultimately, the 2024 team went 11-0 across exhibitions and Olympic play. They beat Serbia (x3), South Sudan (x2), Australia, France, Canada, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Germany, proving their status as the best basketball nation in the world against all the top candidates in the world.
This success was made possible with the star efforts of the three veteran leaders - LeBron, Steph, and KD. The three ranked as the three best scorers for Team USA, with James also leading the squad in assists. The chemistry they had on the court was special to watch and has left fans wanting more after over a month of elite off-season hoops.
The 2028 team likely won't feature any of the three legends, with LeBron already announcing his retirement from international basketball . This was a run to be cherished, which is reflected in the massive viewership numbers the Gold medal game pulled in.
Related: Barack Obama Hails Team USA Legends For Winning 5th Straight Gold Medal
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