By Laurajean (Lj) Holmgren, M.S. in Sports Management, Lecturer and Deputy Program Director, and Mary Scott, M.S. in Sports Management, Lecturer, Senior Associate Director, Career Services
The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are returning to northern Italy for the first time in 20 years, with the Milano Cortina 2026 Games kicking off on Friday, February 6, across two Italian cities: Milan and Cortina. With competitions taking place in both the city and the mountains, several key elements of the Games will be staged in both locations. Most notably, there will be an Olympic village in each city and, for the first time in Olympic history, two cauldrons.
The Olympic Games celebrate sporting excellence and the coming together of the world’s greatest athletes, while also offering an opportunity to showcase the cultural heritage of the local regions, people, and the country as a whole. Milano Cortina 2026 has embraced Italy’s rich culture in design, art, food, and architecture to promote a dynamic, vibrant, and contemporary nation. This spirit is evident in the unique design of the Olympic medals and the Milano Corinta motto, “IT’s Your Vibe,” which emphasizes personal energy, passion, and unity while cleverly playing on Italy’s international abbreviation ‘IT.’
These Olympic Winter Games will host 2,900 athletes from 90 nations competing in 16 sports and seven disciplines, totaling 116 medal events over 17 days. With 47% female athlete representation, this will mark the highest level of gender balance ever achieved for a Winter Games. The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will feature approximately 665 athletes competing for 79 medals across six sports, including a new mixed doubles wheelchair curling event. Running from March 6-15, the Games mark the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics and reflect a significant investment in accessibility.
The global symbol of the Games is the Olympic Rings, representing the union of the five inhabited continents—Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania—and the meeting of athletes from around the world. They symbolize international cooperation, harmony, and equality. In the spirit of the five interlocking rings, here are five things to watch for at these Games:
1. Return of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Debut of New Sports
For the first time since 2014, NHL players will have the chance to compete and represent their home countries at the Winter Olympic Games. Building on the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off, there is excitement among players and fans, with support from both the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the NHL for hockey’s return to the Olympic stage.
In addition to hockey, these Games will introduce ski mountaineering as a new discipline and add several new events within existing sports, including men's and women’s dual moguls in freestyle skiing, women’s double luge, alpine combined team, women’s ski jumping large hill, and skeleton mixed relay.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Milano Cortina Organizing Committee determine which new sports and disciplines debut at each Games, aiming to support greater gender equality and attract new audiences. Recent additions have included skateboarding, breaking (breakdancing), and surfing. Looking ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, we will see the much-anticipated debuts of flag football, cricket, and lacrosse.
2. New Technology at the Games
A global production of this scale requires the adoption of the latest technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) will help power Olympic and Paralympic broadcasts worldwide. Olympic Broadcast Services will provide more than 6,500 hours of coverage, including drone shots of sliding events and 360-degree replays. In addition, AI will support the generation of graphics that include information about competitions, such as statistics on stone speed and sweeping metrics in curling. In addition, Olympic GPT, developed with support from Alibaba and powered by data from the IOC and Olympic Broadcast Services, will answer questions and deliver results in real time.
3. Sustainability
Following the lead of Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026 is the first Winter Games to align with the sustainability objectives set by the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5 – a measure to chart a new direction for the Olympic Movement with 15 recommendations. These include fostering sustainable Olympic Games by carefully reviewing venues, encouraging the use of temporary venues, allowing competition outside the host city, and long-term environmental and economic planning. Hosting the Games requires balancing tremendous resource demands, such as an estimated 250 million gallons of water for snow production, with a commitment to renewable electricity and the use of 85% existing or temporary venues. Circular economy efforts, including the purchase of medical equipment and the reuse of furniture from the Paris 2024 Games, demonstrate communication and commitment between organizing committees. New venues, such as the Olympic Village in Milan, will later be repurposed as university housing, while in Cortina, the temporary athlete village will consist of 377 rented mobile homes. While it is too early to determine the success of these measures, the goal is to minimize environmental impact and create a positive legacy.
4. Storytelling on an Olympic Level
The Olympic Games have become more than a sporting event; they are a platform for robust, emotional storytelling and a place where sports and entertainment come together. While audiences may tune in for “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” they also crave and have come to expect access to the athletes’ personal journeys, behind-the-scenes experiences, and a sense of the vibes of the host cities.
With the explosion of social media and shift in viewing habits, audiences can now engage with instant, multi-perspective user-generated content across platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, YouTube accounted for 17% of global Olympic engagement.
Many Olympic athletes are not household names, since they may only compete on the global stage every four years in an otherwise obscure sport. Humanizing athletes by sharing their backstories, journeys, and off-field lives helps build connection and engagement around the world.
To enhance storytelling for these Games, Olympic media rights holder NBCUniversal has developed the “Creator Collective,” featuring more than 25 content creators across YouTube, Meta, and TikTok who will provide unique behind-the-scenes access and first-person coverage of the games, athletes, and Italian culture. The lineup includes YouTubers and podcasters such as Tom Daley, Kylie Kelce, Jordan Howlett, Bowen Yang, and Matt Rogers, alongside TikTokers like Anna Sitar and Ashley Yi. Celebrities, including Snoop Dogg and Stanley Tucci, will also contribute to the network’s coverage.
5. Brands Bringing the Games to Fans Through Unique Experiences
The Olympic Games are big business with hundreds of brands and companies that will activate on the ground in Italy, within Olympic-sanctioned spaces, in countries around the world, and across media platforms. Highlights include:
Airbnb Experiences: The Worldwide Partner is bringing fans closer than ever to the magic of the Winter Games with a special collection of once-in-a-lifetime experiences with legendary athletes. From a shopping experience in Milan with Gus Kenworthy to a luxe spa day with Olympian Dorothea Wierer to training alongside Paralympic champions like para biathlete Dan Aravich and para ice hockey player Andrea Macri, each activity invites guests to share the passion, determination, and spirit of inclusion that define the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company will also open Casa Airbnb, a free pop-up experience featuring “Olympic Mornings” with coffee and Italian pastries, and “Après-Ski Afternoons” with surprise visits from athletes.
Corona Cero: As the first-ever non-alcoholic beer sponsor of the Olympic Winter Games, Corona Cero will focus its integrated marketing efforts through its “For Every Golden Moment” platform with consumers globally. The campaign will include brand activations, product sampling featuring the brand’s iconic lime ritual, athlete engagement, experiential programs, and the debut of Olympic-themed bottles in more than 25 markets worldwide.
EA7 Emporio Armani: As the Official Outfitter and Eyewear Partner of the Italian Team, the Italian fashion brand will showcase Olympic-themed installations in its stores and host pop-ups at the Via Manzoni 31 store. In Piazza Duca d’Aosta, Casa EA7 will serve as a public hub where visitors can rewatch daily competition highlights, participate in photo experiences, and engage with video content and podcasts featuring athletes, coaches, and special guests. The Armani Hotel will feature Olympic-inspired menu items at Armani Ristorante and Bamboo Bar, with the latter also broadcasting competitions. Visitors who stop at all four EA7 activation sites can take part in the EA7 Urban Slalom trail, collecting stamps to receive a complimentary gift at the Emporio Armani Milano store.
As the world turns its attention to Milan and Cortina this February, the 2026 Games promise to signal an evolution in what the Olympics and Paralympics can be. From historic firsts and new disciplines to AI-powered broadcasts, ambitious sustainability goals, and immersive brand experiences, Milano Cortina 2026 reflects the Olympics’ mission to both carry on traditions and incorporate future-facing innovations.
About the Program
The Columbia University M.S. in Sports Management prepares students with a comprehensive curriculum and access to sports industry practitioners and leaders. Students acquire skills in areas such as entrepreneurship and innovation, global sports management, facility and event management, and sports law and ethics.
The program is available for part-time or full-time enrollment. Learn more about the program here.
