How to watch, schedule of events, and everything you need to know about the Winter Games

the 2026 Winter Olympics took place in Italy this year, with all the action taking place in Milan and the Alpine town of Cortina. This year marks the fourth time that Italy has hosted the Winter Games; most recently, Turin hosted in 2006. Of the 16 sports that will be featured in the Winter Olympics, there are 15 returning favorites, including figure skating, Alpine skiing, curling, ice hockey, speedskating, snowboarding, freestyle skiing and ski jumping, and a new sport, snow mountaineering. (Will it be a big hit like the new addition to the 2024 Summer Games, BREAKING? It remains to be seen.)

Live coverage of every event at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will be available to stream on Peacock — although thanks to the time difference between Italy and the US, to watch many events live, you’ll have to stay up (or stay up) until 2AM or 3AM ET. Primetime replays and select live coverage will air on NBC. The games officially begin with the opening ceremony on February 6, 2026.

Here’s what else you need to know about watching the 2026 Winter Olympics.

How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics

Date: February 6 – February 22

TV channels: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

When are the 2026 Winter Olympics?

The Winter Olympics officially begin with the opening ceremony on February 6, although some events will start as early as February 4). The Milano Cortina 2026 games will run until February 22. The closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place at the Arena di Verona on February 22.

Where are the Winter Olympics this year?

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Northern Italy, especially in Milan and also in the Alpine mountain resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, where events such as bobsled, skeleton, alpine skiing, curling, para snowboard, etc. will take place.

What channel is the Olympics on?

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be televised on NBC and streamed live on the Peacock.

How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics without cable

For $10.99 a month, an ad-supported Peacock subscription will let you stream coverage of every event at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Plus, get the full library of Peacock and NBC content on demand, as well as select live sports and events, including Super Bowl 60 (on Feb. 8).

For $17 a month, you can upgrade to an ad-free Premium Plus subscription, which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

Apple TV also recently launched a bundle with Peacock. You can bundle Apple TV and ad-supported Peacock for $15/monthor go ad-free for $20.

When is the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics?

The opening ceremony of Milano Cortina 2026 will be held on February 6, 2026. Due to the time difference, the ceremony will start around 2PM ET/11AM PT.

Winter Olympics season difference

This year’s Olympic Games are in Italy, which is 6 hours ahead of US Eastern Time. That means some events will start bright and early for US viewers, and live coverage will likely end around 4PM ET each day. NBC has primetime replays of the biggest moments every night.

2026 Winter Olympics TV/streaming schedule:

All time in the East.

Wednesday, February 4 (early competition starts)

Curling (round robin) – 2AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (round robin) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Alpine skiing training – 3–6AM (Peacock – Live)

Thursday, February 5

Curling (round robin) – 2AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (round robin) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Freestyle skiing qualifications – 4AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard qualifiers – 6AM (Peacock – Live)

Friday, February 6 – opening ceremony

Curling (round robin) – 2AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (short programs in team events) – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard slopestyle qualifications – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Speedskating (early distances) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
opening ceremony – 2PM (Peacock – Live)
opening ceremony – 8PM (NBC – Primetime)

Saturday, February 7

Alpine skiing (men’s downhill) – 3AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard slopestyle finals – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Speedskating medals – 7AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (free team programs) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (group play begins) – 10AM (Peacock – Live)

Sunday, February 8

Alpine skiing (women below) – 3AM (Peacock – Live)
Freestyle skiing moguls finals – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (pairs short program) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Luge (single run) – 9AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (group game) – 12PM (Peacock – Live)

Monday, February 9

Biathlon sprint – 5AM (Peacock – Live)
Speedskating medals – 7AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (pairs free skate – medals) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (round robin) – 9AM (Peacock – Live)
Skeleton (heat 1–2) – 11AM (Peacock – Live)

Tuesday, February 10

Alpine skiing (giant slalom) – 4AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard halfpipe qualifications – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (men’s short program) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (round robin) – 10AM (Peacock – Live)

Wednesday, February 11

Nordic Combined – 4AM (Peacock – Live)
Freestyle skiing aerials finals – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (men’s free skate – medals) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Speedskating medals – 11AM (Peacock – Live)

Thursday, February 12

Alpine skiing (slalom) – 4AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard halfpipe finals – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (ice dance rhythm dance) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (medal round qualifiers) – 10AM (Peacock – Live)

Friday, February 13

Biathlon pursuit – 5AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (ice dance free dance – medals) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Skeleton finals – 10AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (quarterfinals) – 12PM (Peacock – Live)

Saturday, February 14

Alpine skiing (team combined) – 4AM (Peacock – Live)
Cross-country skiing distance race – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (women’s short program) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Speedskating medals – 11AM (Peacock – Live)

Sunday, February 15

Snowboard cross finals – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating (women’s free skate – medals) – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Luge relay – 11AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (semifinals) – 1PM (Peacock – Live)

Monday, February 16

Freestyle skiing dual moguls – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Cross-country skiing team sprint – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (medal games) – 10AM (Peacock – Live)

Tuesday, February 17

Biathlon relay – 5AM (Peacock – Live)
Speedskating team pursuit – 7AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (placement games) – 12PM (Peacock – Live)

Wednesday, February 18

Alpine skiing (final technical events) – 4AM (Peacock – Live)
Freestyle skiing big air – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (gold medal match) – 9AM (Peacock – Live)

Thursday, February 19

Cross-country skiing marathon – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard parallel events – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (bronze medal games) – 1PM (Peacock – Live)

Friday, February 20

Biathlon mass start – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
Speedskating final medals – 8AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure skating gala – 1PM (Peacock – Live)

Saturday, February 21

Men’s hockey gold medal game – 12PM (Peacock – Live)
Women’s hockey gold medal game – 3PM (Peacock – Live)
Men’s hockey gold medal game – 8PM (NBC – Primetime)

Sunday, February 22 – closing ceremony

Final cross-country skiing event – 6AM (Peacock – Live)
closing ceremony – 2PM (Peacock – Live)
closing ceremony – 8PM (NBC – Primetime)

More ways to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics on NBC

While Peacock is the best way to watch the Winter Olympics, there are other options if you limit yourself to NBC broadcasts. As our guide to best live TV streaming service to cut the cable notes, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are excellent options, but you’ll want to skip Fubo until and unless the service resolves its contract dispute with Comcast, as NBC channels remain unavailable for now.