How to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics
Whether you are a passionate about athletics or simply nurture a new love of hockey thanks to Passionate rivalrythe 2026 Winter Olympics has what you’re looking for.
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in Milan and Cortina, Italy throughout February. Some competitions start on February 4, but the opening ceremony will take place on February 6 at 2:00 p.m. ET and will feature performances by Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli. Following the events, there will be a closing ceremony on February 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
As with past Olympics, this year’s games will be televised in the United States exclusively by NBC. You can watch if you have cable or satellite TV. Cable coverage will span multiple NBC channels, including local NBC affiliates CNBC and USA Network.
The Games will also be broadcast live on NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service, which requires an $11 per month subscription. If the ads drive you crazy, the ad-free Peacock Premium Plus costs $18 per month. (Set a calendar reminder to cancel the service after the Olympics if you don’t plan to continue watching Traitors.)
Peacock will also bring back its central Olympics website, which might be the easiest way to find the events you’re looking for. You can search and add sports or events to your favorites and receive notifications when they go live. This can be particularly useful depending on what time zone you’re in, as the games all take place in northern Italy, which is in the GMT+1 time zone.
For a complete overview of all events, see the official Olympic competition calendar. If you want to see every competition listed by event time, we’ve got you covered.
Looking for events by sport? Below is a list of great events for everyone, along with links to full schedules for each event.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all times below are US Eastern Time.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony, which will last three hours, will be broadcast on almost all Olympic media outlets. Friday February 6. Live coverage begins at 2 p.m. Eastern and 11 a.m. Pacific.
Alpine skiing
Complete program
Training for alpine skiing begins on February 4, but competitive events will begin with the men’s downhill on February 7 at 5:30 a.m. The first medal event in the women’s downhill will take place on February 8.
Medal events take place almost every day until February 18. The medal finals begin with the first men’s slalom race on February 16.
The final women’s slalom races will begin on February 18.
Biathlon
Complete program
The biathlon events are the closest thing to the Olympic Games in a James Bond film. Skiers travel down mountain trails then stop to shoot a gun. What’s not to like?
You can witness all the emotion starting with a mixed 4 x 6 km relay on February 8.
All events are medal events and run through to the men’s 1km mass start on February 20 and the women’s 12.5km mass start on February 21.
Bobsleigh
Complete program
Bobsleigh events – no, not bobsleigh, you philistine – start on February 12. One of three sliding sports, bobsleigh is a team of two to four people sitting upright in a sled with their heads sticking out. (Unlike luge and skeleton, in which athletes lie on their sleds without sides or support.)
Training begins on February 12 at 6:50 a.m. There will be four medal events in bobsleigh, starting with the fourth round of the women’s monobob on February 16.
