NBCUniversal has revealed that the NBC broadcast network and Peacock over-the-top streaming service will be serving as the primary platforms for its coverage of the Olympic Games Milan Cortina 2026. This iteration of the Winter Olympics will take place from Milan and Cortina in Italy, which is located in the same time zone as Paris, France, the site of the Summer Olympic Games last year. As a result, the programming strategy surrounding the event will be similar to what aired from Paris, which averaged 30.7 million viewers in prime time coverage and generated record advertising revenue.
“Paris proved that the Olympics are back and remain an unrivaled media property, with the unique ability to captivate the nation and generate huge audiences across all demographics for 17 days and nights,” Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, said in a statement. “We expect Milan Cortina to carry on that legacy. The time zone allows us to mimic our Paris programming and coverage strategy on NBC and Peacock, which was widely praised and highly consumed. Team USA is poised to have one of its strongest Winter Olympic teams in years, and America has always been fascinated with Italy, its culture, food, and scenery. Milan Cortina has all the ingredients to produce yet another unforgettable Olympics one year from now.”
The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games will have more programming on the NBC broadcast network than any other previous Winter Olympics. There will be at least five hours of daytime coverage per day featuring events such as figure skating, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and several more. Daytime coverage will feature the most popular events live on NBC during the afternoons and on weekday mornings. The Primetime in Milan presentation will air at night with three hours of entertainment exploring the events of the day. Additional cable coverage will air on CNBC and USA Network, the latter of which will be the home of Team USA.
Peacock will be the streaming home for these Winter Olympic Games and stream all sports and events live, including the 116 events that are for medals. Moreover, the platform will have full-event replays, video clips, virtual channels, and innovative technology, along with access to the linear programming. The Gold Zone whiparound show and multiview feature will also be making their return, with more details on both to be announced at a later date. Users on Peacock consumed 23.5 billion minutes of Paris Olympics coverage last summer, which is up 40% from all prior Summer and Winter Olympic Games combined.
NBC Sports will be embarking on an ambitious programming slate over a two-week stretch involving several of its league partners. Two days after the Opening Ceremony airs on NBC and Peacock, the network will broadcast Super Bowl LX from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., marking the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season. One week later, NBC Sports will present the NBA All-Star Game from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., the first time it will air the event under its new 11-year media rights deal with the NBA reportedly worth $2.45 billion annually.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
