The Winter Olympic Games 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo is set to bring together the best winter athletes from around the world. Fans everywhere want one simple thing: a reliable, legal way to watch every moment live online.
Live Coverage Structure For Winter Olympics 2026
The Winter Olympics 2026 is scheduled across February 2026 in multiple venues in northern Italy, with ice events centred around Milan and snow events around Cortina d’Ampezzo and nearby mountain clusters.
As in recent editions:
- Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) creates a neutral “world feed” for all events.
- This feed is then picked up by official media partners in each territory, who add their own commentary, studio shows and highlight packages.
- Fans watch through TV channels, websites, mobile apps and smart-TV apps run by these rights-holders.
So if you want a Winter Olympics 2026 live stream, the first step is simple: identify the official broadcaster in your country and use their digital platforms.
Step-By-Step: How To Watch Winter Olympics 2026 Live Online
No matter where you live, the process usually looks like this:
- Find your country below
Look up your territory in the full channel list. Note the broadcaster name(s). - Go to the official platform
Visit the broadcaster’s website or official app (mobile or smart-TV). Most of them provide:- Live event streams
- Multi-channel coverage during peak times
- Replays, highlights and clips
- Create or sign in to an account
- Some public broadcasters allow free registration for live and catch-up streaming.
- Commercial networks may ask for a pay-TV login or standalone subscription.
- Use the event schedule
- Check the daily Winter Olympics 2026 schedule on the broadcaster’s site.
- Add key events (opening ceremony, figure skating, alpine skiing, ice hockey finals, etc.) to your own calendar so you don’t miss them.
- Watch on your preferred device
- Smartphone or tablet via official apps
- Laptop/desktop in a modern browser
- Smart TV or streaming stick (many apps are available on devices like Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, etc., depending on region)
Always rely on official rights-holders from the list below. They have the legal rights and usually the most stable, high-quality streams.
Winter Olympics 2026 Broadcasters By Region
Europe: Public Broadcasters & Warner Bros. Discovery
Across most of Europe (excluding Russia and Belarus), coverage is shared between:
- EBU members – the familiar public broadcasters in each country (BBC, ARD/ZDF, France Télévisions, RTVE, etc.)
- Warner Bros. Discovery – with coverage across Europe via its sports networks and streaming platforms
This combination means:
- In many countries you get free-to-air coverage on the national public channel, plus live and on-demand coverage on its website/app.
- Pay-TV and extended coverage sit on Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports platforms in the region, giving multiple live feeds and extra events.
Americas: United States, Canada & Latin America
In the Americas, established partners handle Milan Cortina 2026:
- United States – NBCUniversal
- Long-term rights-holder for the Olympics in the U.S.
- Viewers access coverage through NBC’s TV channels and associated digital platforms.
- Canada – CBC/Radio-Canada
- National public broadcaster with coverage in both English and French.
- Offers live streams and replays through its digital services.
- Brazil – Grupo Globo
- Major sports broadcaster with multi-platform coverage across TV and online services.
- Mexico – TelevisaUnivision
- Holds exclusive rights in Mexico, combining traditional TV coverage with online streaming options.
Asia & Oceania
In Asia and the Pacific, rights are organised slightly differently:
- Asia (including Central and South-East Asia)
- Rights are managed by Infront Sports & Media, which distributes them to local broadcasters in each market.
- Viewers in Asian countries can follow announcements from their national broadcasters once schedules and platforms are confirmed.
- China – China Media Group (CMG)
- National broadcaster responsible for extensive TV and digital coverage.
- Japan – Japan Consortium
- A partnership of Japanese broadcasters that collectively handle Olympic coverage.
- South Korea & North Korea – JTBC
- Rights-holder in both markets, offering coverage across its channels and platforms.
- Australia – Nine
- National commercial network and digital platforms handle live and on-demand coverage.
- New Zealand – Sky
- Pay-TV and streaming coverage via Sky’s sports offerings.
Other Key Territories
A number of national broadcasters hold exclusive rights in their own countries. These include:
- Europe (selected examples)
- United Kingdom – BBC
- Germany – ARD & ZDF
- France – France Télévisions
- Italy – RAI (free-to-air and digital), alongside Warner Bros. Discovery for pay-TV
- Spain – RTVE
- Nordics – NRK (Norway), SVT & TV4 (Sweden), DR & TV 2 (Denmark), RÚV (Iceland), YLE (Finland)
- Central & Eastern Europe – TVP (Poland), ČT (Czech Republic), STVR (Slovakia), RTV (Slovenia), ERR (Estonia), LTV (Latvia), LRT (Lithuania), GPB (Georgia), RTSH (Albania), RTCG (Montenegro), RTK (Kosovo), HRT (Croatia), BNT (Bulgaria), ERT (Greece), MTVA (Hungary), SRG SSR (Switzerland), Suspilne (Ukraine), NOS (Netherlands), RTBF & VRT (Belgium), RTÉ (Ireland), Sports Channel (Israel)
Wherever you live, one of these names will usually be the starting point for your Winter Olympics 2026 live stream.
Winter Olympics 2026 Full Channel List (TV & Online)
Below is a compact channel list for Milan Cortina 2026 based on current rights-holders. Use it as a quick reference on your site so visitors can immediately see where to watch.
Broadcaster names are factual; viewers should always check the latest details and schedules on each broadcaster’s official platform.
| Territory / Region | Official rights-holder(s) | Typical access (TV & online)* |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | RTSH | National TV, RTSH digital platforms |
| Asia (Central & South-East, multi-nation) | Infront Sports & Media (rights agency) | Local partners in each country |
| Australia | Nine | Nine channels and related streaming services |
| Austria | ORF | ORF TV channels and online player |
| Belgium | RTBF, VRT | Public channels in French & Dutch, online apps |
| Brazil | Grupo Globo | Globo TV and digital sports platforms |
| Bulgaria | BNT | National public TV and streaming |
| Canada | CBC/Radio-Canada | CBC/Radio-Canada TV & digital platforms |
| China | CMG | CMG television and online platforms |
| Croatia | HRT | HRT public channels and streaming |
| Czech Republic | ČT | Czech Television channels and online player |
| Denmark | DR, TV 2 | DR/TV 2 channels and digital services |
| Europe (excl. Russia & Belarus) | EBU members, Warner Bros. Discovery | Public broadcasters + WBD sports platforms |
| Estonia | ERR | ERR TV and online streaming |
| Finland | YLE | YLE TV and online services |
| France | France Télévisions | Public TV channels and streaming platform |
| Georgia | GPB | GPB channels and digital services |
| Germany | ARD, ZDF | Public TV networks and online portals |
| Greece | ERT | ERT channels and streaming |
| Hungary | MTVA | Public media channels and digital services |
| Iceland | RÚV | RÚV TV and online player |
| Ireland | RTÉ | RTÉ television and streaming |
| Israel | Sports Channel | Sports Channel TV and online platforms |
| Italy | RAI; Warner Bros. Discovery (pay-TV) | RAI free-to-air & digital; WBD sports services |
| Japan | Japan Consortium | Consortium channels and digital platforms |
| Kosovo | RTK | RTK TV and online services |
| Latvia | LTV | Latvian Television and streaming |
| Lithuania | LRT | LRT channels and online platform |
| Macau | CMG and TDM | Local TV and digital platforms |
| Mexico | TelevisaUnivision | Televisa/Univision channels and apps |
| Montenegro | RTCG | Public TV and digital services |
| Netherlands | NOS | NOS and public TV online platforms |
| New Zealand | Sky | Sky Sports channels and associated streaming |
| North Korea | JTBC | Coverage as arranged via JTBC |
| Norway | NRK | NRK TV and streaming |
| Poland | TVP | Telewizja Polska channels and online player |
| Slovakia | STVR | Public TV and digital platforms |
| Slovenia | RTV | RTV Slovenia channels and streaming |
| South Korea | JTBC | JTBC TV and digital services |
| Spain | RTVE | Public TV and online platforms |
| Sweden | SVT, TV4 | SVT and TV4 channels and apps |
| Switzerland | SRG SSR | Multilingual public channels and platforms |
| Ukraine | Suspilne | National public broadcaster and streaming |
| United Kingdom | BBC | BBC TV channels and online player |
| United States | NBCUniversal | NBC channels and associated digital platforms |
*Exact streaming options, apps and subscription models vary by country, but the broadcasters above are the official partners for Winter Olympics 2026 coverage in their territories.
Practical Tips For A Smooth Milan Cortina 2026 Live Stream
To make the most of Winter Olympics 2026 live coverage online, a few technical habits help a lot:
- Test your connection early
Try a live channel or sports stream from your broadcaster before the opening ceremony to check speed and stability. - Update your apps
Open the broadcaster’s app on your phone, tablet, or smart TV and update to the latest version. New versions often improve live-stream stability. - Use the event schedule
Bookmark the broadcaster’s Winter Olympics 2026 schedule page. Many offer sport filters (alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country, figure skating, ice hockey, etc.) so you can quickly find the events you care about. - Create profiles or watch-lists
Some platforms let you save favourite sports or teams, making it easier to jump straight into relevant live streams and highlight clips. - Consider multi-screen viewing
During busy days, it can be helpful to watch one event on the TV while tracking another via mobile or laptop, especially during overlapping finals.
Highlights, Replays & On-Demand Viewing
Not every viewer can sit through full live sessions due to time zones or work hours. Most rights-holders in the list above usually offer:
- Short highlight packages right after events
- Full-event replays for key finals and medal events
- Daily recap shows summarising the biggest stories from Milan and Cortina
If your schedule doesn’t line up with live coverage, these on-demand options become the easiest way to stay fully updated on medals, record performances and surprise upsets.
Conclusion
For anyone asking “How to watch Winter Olympics 2026 live online?”, the answer is straightforward:
- Check the full channel list above.
- Go directly to your official rights-holder’s website or app.
- Use their live streams, replays and highlight sections to follow every second from Milan and Cortina.
By relying on these verified broadcasters, viewers get high-quality video, authorized commentary and comprehensive coverage of Winter Olympics 2026 sports events, from the opening ceremony through to the final medal presentation.