Fanfare around Team USA women’s hockey win illustrates how far game has grown thanks to PWHL

February 24, 2026

We’ve seen Olympic popularity spark the growth of year-round leagues, from track & field to fencing. However, the best example may be women’s hockey: As recently as 2022, there was ongoing debate about whether women’s hockey belonged at the Olympics, but the PWHL is helping rewrite the narrative.

Sports Business Hockey

Fanfare around Team USA women’s hockey win illustrates how far game has grown thanks to PWHL

Source: CBS

The GIST: We’ve seen Olympic popularity spark the growth of year-round leagues, from track & field to fencing. However, the best example may be women’s hockey: As recently as 2022, there was ongoing debate about whether women’s hockey belonged at the Olympics, but the PWHL is helping rewrite the narrative.

New data from Stubhub illustrates how the leagues like the PWHL and international competitions like the Olympics feed off one another. It’s all the validation we need.

The context: At Beijing 2022, the U.S.– Canada gold medal game drew 3.54M viewers, more than any NHL game that season. This showed the promise of women’s hockey before the PWHL existed, and since the league tipped off in 2024, widespread interest has surged, exemplified by the 2024 IIHF Championship.

The now: Seeing PWHL stars win gold for Team USA in a historic win over Canada drove interest in the league, according to new StubHub data. The gold medal matchup averaged 5.3M viewers and peaked at 7.7M in OT, setting a viewership record for the women’s game.

Following the win, StubHub saw PWHL ticket searches leap almost 50% overnight above the January baseline and 216% compared to during the Olympics, showing that hockey fans are transferring Olympic hockey interest into PWHL purchase intent. Very high demand.

Overall, the women’s hockey ecosystem is flourishing. U.S.–based PWHL purchases are up 42% YoY and PWHL ticket demand is up 38% YoY through the first eight weeks of 2026. Brands like The Realest, which is offering game-worn PWHL memorabilia from Olympic stars, are looking to convert fan fervor after the Olympics. We’re so there.

Zooming out: Interest peaks in Olympic moments, and year-round leagues can capitalize and further fuel this interest. The PWHL has been steadily growing, but Team USA was ready to meet the moment when it won gold by building women’s hockey interest more broadly, especially in the U.S. And ahead of LA28, rugby, lacrosse, and flag football all seem to have the same idea.