People in the Twin Cities are tuning in to the 2026 Winter Olympics at rates higher than in any other U.S. metro area, according to NBC officials. More than half of those watching TV during the afternoon and primetime hours have viewed NBC’s coverage of the Milan Cortina games as of Monday, Feb. 16. There is the obvious draw: 37 athletes from Minnesota or with Minnesota ties are competing in this year’s winter games. It’s possible Twin Cities residents also tuned in for a break from news around Operation Metro Surge, though local viewership numbers remained high even after immigration agents began withdrawing. In terms of ratings, which measures total potential audience and not just those watching TV at a given time, 14% of all homes in the Minneapolis-St. Paul media market have watched the Winter Olympics on NBC. That’s tied with Milwaukee, which shares a similar climate and familiarity with winter sports. Read more at the link in our bio. Reporting by Erin Adler. Photo by Carolyn ...