One year to go: NBC and Peacock outline comprehensive plans for 2026 Winter Olympics

With less than a year until the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, NBCUniversal is building momentum for its coverage of the Games, promising expanded programming on NBC and its streaming platform, Peacock.

NBC’s Milan Cortino logo reimagines Paris’ layout as snowflake

The company is doubling down on the strategy that fueled strong engagement for the 2024 Paris Olympics, ensuring live, primetime and digital coverage for U.S. audiences.

The 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled for Feb. 6–22, will take place across Italy’s northern regions, from the city of Milan to the mountain town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

NBC has announced plans to provide more programming hours on its broadcast network than any previous Winter Olympics. The approach includes live daytime coverage of key events such as figure skating, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and speed skating, as well as an enhanced primetime show, Primetime in Milan, to recap the biggest stories of each day.

Peacock will once again serve as the streaming home for the Olympics, offering every sport and event live, along with full-event replays, curated highlights and exclusive digital features such as the return of Gold Zone and Multiview. USA Network and CNBC will also provide extensive cable coverage, similar to previous Winter Games.

A familiar strategy with an Italian backdrop

NBC’s programming strategy for Milan Cortina closely mirrors its approach to Paris 2024. With Italy in the same time zone as France, the network will take advantage of the schedule to air live competitions throughout the day, including high-profile events on weekend mornings and weekday afternoons.

Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, emphasized the strong demand for Olympic coverage following the Paris Games.

“The time zone allows us to mimic our Paris programming and coverage strategy on NBC and Peacock, which was widely praised and highly consumed,” Cordella said in a statement. “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.”

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The Milan Cortina Games will mark the second time Cortina d’Ampezzo has hosted the Winter Olympics, the first being in 1956. It will also be the fourth time Italy has hosted an Olympic Games, with past editions in Rome (1960 Summer Olympics) and Turin (2006 Winter Olympics).

Athletes take center stage

The countdown to Milan Cortina also centers around Team USA’s roster, which is expected to feature several top athletes aiming for gold:

• Jordan Stolz (Speed Skating): The 20-year-old two-time world champion is a favorite in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m events.
• Mikaela Shiffrin (Alpine Skiing): The most decorated alpine skier in history looks to add to her Olympic legacy after breaking multiple World Cup records.
• Ilia Malinin (Figure Skating): The “Quad God” seeks to bring home gold in men’s figure skating, following in Nathan Chen’s footsteps.
• Chloe Kim (Snowboarding): The two-time Olympic halfpipe champion aims for a historic third consecutive gold medal.
• Jessie Diggins (Cross-Country Skiing): An Olympic gold medalist and world champion, Diggins remains a strong contender in endurance events.

Beyond individual performances, the return of NHL players to Olympic hockey is a major storyline for Milan Cortina, as well as the continuation of the USA-Canada rivalry in women’s hockey. The Games will also introduce ski mountaineering as a new Olympic sport.

NBCUniversal holds the U.S. media rights to the Olympics through 2032, with future Games scheduled for Los Angeles (2028), the French Alps (2030), and Brisbane (2032). With each Olympic cycle, the company continues to expand its digital offerings while maintaining a strong presence on traditional television.

As the one-year mark approaches, NBC is ramping up its promotional efforts, including the launch of a Milan Cortina preview spot and increased coverage of Team USA’s qualification events.