Olympics 2026: How to watch, full schedule of events, and everything else you need to know about the Winter Games
Published: (February 9, 2026 at 02:30 PM EST)
8 min read
Source: Engadget
Source: Engadget
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics – What You Need to Know
Image credit: Mattia Ozbot / Getty Images
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Italy, with events split between Milan and the Alpine resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. This is the fourth time Italy has hosted the Winter Games (the most recent being Turin 2006).
- Sports: 16 total – 15 returning (e.g., figure skating, hockey, luge, speed skating) plus one brand‑new discipline, snow mountaineering.
- Live streaming: All events will be streamed live on Peacock. Because Italy is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time, many live broadcasts will air in the early‑morning hours (≈ 2 – 3 AM ET).
- Broadcast: Primetime re‑airings and select live coverage will be shown on NBC.
Below is a quick‑reference guide for watching the Games.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | Feb 4 – Feb 22, 2026 (opening ceremony Feb 6, closing ceremony Feb 22) |
| TV channel | NBC |
| Streaming | Peacock (live) |
| Time zone | Italy is UTC +1 (6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time) |
| Opening ceremony | Feb 6, 2026 – ≈ 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT (live on Peacock, primetime replay on NBC) |
| Closing ceremony | Feb 22, 2026 – Arena di Verona |
How to Watch Without Cable
- Peacock (free with ads or via paid subscription) streams every event live.
- NBC provides primetime re‑airings and limited live coverage on broadcast TV and the NBC app/website.
2026 Winter Olympics Schedule (Eastern Time)
All times are Eastern Time (ET). “Live” indicates a Peacock live stream; “Primetime” indicates an NBC broadcast.
| Date (ET) | Event | Time | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed Feb 4 (early competition) | Curling (round‑robin) | 2 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Curling (round‑robin) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Alpine skiing training | 3 – 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Thu Feb 5 | Curling (round‑robin) | 2 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Curling (round‑robin) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Freestyle skiing qualifications | 4 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Snowboard qualifications | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Fri Feb 6 – Opening ceremony | Curling (round‑robin) | 2 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Figure skating (team short programs) | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Snowboard slopestyle qualifications | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Speedskating (early distances) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Opening ceremony | 2 PM | Peacock – Live | |
| Opening ceremony (primetime) | 8 PM | NBC | |
| Sat Feb 7 | Alpine skiing (men’s downhill) | 3 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Snowboard slopestyle finals | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Speedskating medals | 7 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Figure skating (team free programs) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Hockey (group play begins) | 10 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Sun Feb 8 | Alpine skiing (women’s downhill) | 3 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Freestyle skiing moguls finals | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Figure skating (pairs short program) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Luge (singles runs) | 9 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Hockey (group play) | 12 PM | Peacock – Live | |
| Mon Feb 9 | Biathlon sprint | 5 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Speedskating medals | 7 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Figure skating (pairs free skate – medals) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Curling (round‑robin) | 9 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Skeleton (heat 1‑2) | 11 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Tue Feb 10 | Alpine skiing (giant slalom) | 4 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Snowboard halfpipe qualifications | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Figure skating (men’s short program) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Curling (round‑robin) | 10 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Wed Feb 11 | Nordic combined | 4 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Freestyle skiing aerials finals | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Figure skating (men’s free skate – medals) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Speedskating medals | 11 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Thu Feb 12 | Alpine skiing (slalom) | 4 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Snowboard halfpipe finals | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Figure skating (ice‑dance rhythm dance) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Curling (medal‑round qualifiers) | 10 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Fri Feb 13 | Biathlon pursuit | 5 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Figure skating (ice‑dance free dance – medals) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Skeleton finals | 10 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Hockey (quarterfinals) | 12 PM | Peacock – Live | |
| Sat Feb 14 | Alpine skiing (team combined) | 4 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Cross‑country skiing distance race | 6 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Figure skating (women’s short program) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Speedskating medals | 11 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Sun Feb 15 | Snowboard cross finals | 6 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Figure skating (women’s free skate – medals) | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Luge relay | 11 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Hockey (semifinals) | 1 PM | Peacock – Live | |
| Mon Feb 16 | Freestyle skiing dual moguls | 6 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Cross‑country skiing team sprint | 8 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Curling (medal games) | 10 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Tue Feb 17 | Biathlon relay | 5 AM | Peacock – Live |
| Speedskating team pursuit | 7 AM | Peacock – Live | |
| Hockey (placement games) | 12 PM | Peacock – Live | |
| (Schedule continues through Feb 22 – see NBC/Peacock listings for the final days.) |
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Games officially start?
- Opening ceremony: Feb 6, 2026 (live at 2 PM ET).
- Some competitions begin Feb 4 (early rounds).
Where are the venues?
- Milan: Urban events (ice hockey, figure skating, etc.).
- Cortina d’Ampezzo: Alpine events (bobsleigh, skeleton, alpine skiing, curling, para‑snowboard, etc.).
What channel will broadcast the Olympics?
- NBC (broadcast TV & NBC app/website).
- Peacock streams every event live.
How do I watch without a cable subscription?
- Subscribe to Peacock Premium (or use the free tier with ads for live streams).
- Use the NBC app or website for primetime re‑airings.
What’s the time‑difference impact?
- Italy is 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
- Early‑morning live events (≈ 2 – 4 AM ET) will be followed by primetime re‑airings (≈ 8 PM ET) on NBC.
Tips for U.S. Viewers
- Set a reminder for the events you care about – many start in the pre‑dawn hours.
- Use Peacock’s “Live” feature to catch events as they happen; you can also enable DVR on the NBC app for later viewing.
- Check local listings for NBC primetime re‑airings if you prefer watching after work.
- Consider a “watch party” with friends in later time zones to make the early‑morning schedule more social.
Enjoy the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics! 🎿🏂⛷️🥇
2026 Winter Olympics – How to Watch (Peacock & NBC)
Wednesday, Feb. 18
- Alpine skiing (final technical events) – 4 AM (Peacock – Live)
- Freestyle skiing – big air – 6 AM (Peacock – Live)
- Curling (gold‑medal match) – 9 AM (Peacock – Live)
Thursday, Feb. 19
- Cross‑country skiing – marathon – 6 AM (Peacock – Live)
- Snowboard – parallel events – 8 AM (Peacock – Live)
- Hockey – bronze‑medal games – 1 PM (Peacock – Live)
Friday, Feb. 20
- Biathlon – mass start – 6 AM (Peacock – Live)
- Speedskating – final medals – 8 AM (Peacock – Live)
- Figure skating – gala – 1 PM (Peacock – Live)
Saturday, Feb. 21
- Men’s hockey – gold‑medal game – 12 PM (Peacock – Live)
- Women’s hockey – gold‑medal game – 3 PM (Peacock – Live)
- Men’s hockey – gold‑medal game – 8 PM (NBC – Primetime)
Sunday, Feb. 22 – Closing Ceremony
- Cross‑country skiing – final event – 6 AM (Peacock – Live)
- Closing ceremony – 2 PM (Peacock – Live)
- Closing ceremony – 8 PM (NBC – Primetime)
More Ways to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics on NBC
While Peacock is the best way to stream the Winter Olympics, you can also catch the NBC broadcasts through other live‑TV streaming services. Both YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV carry the necessary channels. However, FuboTV currently does not have NBC access due to an ongoing contract dispute with Comcast, so you may want to skip it for now.