The U.S. women’s gymnastics team has captured the hearts of America — and it showed in the television ratings.
An average of 12.7 million viewers tuned in on NBC and Peacock live as Simone Biles and Team USA gymnastics took home gold on Tuesday, making it one of the most watched Olympic events on a weekday in NBC history, the network said in a press release.
The gymnastics team competition aired between 12:15 and 2:30 p.m. ET, which came slightly on the earlier side.
The Olympics have already been drawing in massive television viewership for this summer’s games, and the large audience for Team USA’s golden moment topped viewership numbers for even some of the biggest domestic sporting events of the year.
The viewership numbers topped the audiences for every game the NBA Finals and the first day of the NFL draft, according to Sports Business Journal.
The ratings were only slightly behind the viewership of this year’s NCAA men’s college basketball national championship between UConn and Purdue, which drew 14.8 million viewers, Awful Announcing noted.
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It came as Biles, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera re-established the Americans’ dominance in gymnastics.
Biles also cemented herself as the GOAT of the sport with her eighth medal, making her the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history.
“We were just having a good time while we were getting ready,” Biles told reporters after Team USA won gold, according to NBC News. “And we all knew what the job was once we got in here.”
While the Americans have been celebrating their gold, Biles has been wrapped up in some drama away from the mat as she’s been throwing shade at former U.S. Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner.
Skinner had made pointed comments in a YouTube video that questioned the depth and talent of the team, “besides Simone.”
“The girls just don’t have the work ethic,” Skinner said in the since-deleted video.
Skinner eventually apologized, but Biles did not forget the comments and has not been shy about clapping back at Skinner in social media posts after winning gold.
