NBC Sports has unveiled its plans for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy, following a successful blueprint from the Paris Games. They will provide extensive live coverage on Peacock, complemented by substantial programming on cable and broadcast NBC. In fact, this edition is expected to set a record for the number of hours of coverage on the NBC broadcast network.
Milan Cortina 2026 will feature more programming hours on the NBC broadcast network than any previous Winter Olympics. Olympic fans can anticipate at least five hours of daytime coverage daily, showcasing thrilling events such as figure skating, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and speed skating. With Italy six hours ahead of the United States’ Eastern Time Zone, daytime coverage will capture popular events live on NBC during weekend mornings and every afternoon. NBC’s “Primetime in Milan” will offer three hours of dynamic entertainment each night, immersing the American audience in the Olympic day from Italy, filled with exciting competitions, emotional moments, stunning winter scenery, and the host nation’s culture.
This strategy reflects a larger trend highlighting the significance of broadcast TV for sports. As linear cable channels face continued cord-cutting and viewers are selective about which streaming platforms to adopt, the gap in reach between broadcast TV and alternative options continues to widen. Consequently, networks are increasingly emphasizing their major events. Notably, NBC Sports plans to provide live broadcast coverage each weekday afternoon—a considerable shift from practices not seen a decade ago. They will also continue their recent approach of offering everything live on Peacock, moving away from the previously used tape-delay strategy.
Peacock will also host the successful Gold Zone whiparound coverage, which has been a part of NBC Sports’ offerings since 2012 but gained more prominence last summer with its move to streaming. Additionally, the platform will reintroduce the popular multiview feature from Paris. Furthermore, linear cable channels USA and CNBC will participate, with USA being identified as “the home of Team USA,” while CNBC will handle weekend and post-business-day weekday coverage.
With promising U.S. talents and a cultural spotlight on Italy, the Milan Cortina Olympics are poised to attract strong ratings for NBC. NBC Sports president Rick Cordella expressed optimism about the event:
“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. 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.”
As we look forward to the Milan Cortina Games, it remains to be seen how memorable this edition will be and what kind of ratings it will generate for NBC. However, the favorable time zone and strategic planning seem to bode well for a successful event, similar to the Paris Games.
