Winter Olympics 2026 on the BBC - How to watch and follow all the action from Milan-Cortina

From Friday 6 to Thursday 22 February 2026, the BBC is delivering more than 450 hours of live action from Milan-Cortina - bringing audiences unmissable drama from the world’s top winter sport athletes, and the biggest and best moments of snow and ice sport.

Wherever audiences choose to follow, BBC Sport has the Winter Olympics Games covered with two streams of live daytime action from Italy, alongside the best clips, highlights and live text updates across the BBC Sport website, app and social channels.

TV coverage will be led by Clare Balding, Hazel Irvine and Jeanette Kwakye on BBC One and BBC Two from 9am to 10pm each day from the BBC’s studio in Cortina. The second live stream, Olympics Extra, will be available via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app from 8am to 11pm to show additional Winter Olympic Games.

• Add the Winter Olympics 2026 to your iPlayer Watchlist

Alongside a stellar line-up of experts, Olympian, bobsledder and star of BBC's Gladiators Montell Douglas joins the broadcasting team for 2026, bringing her elite insight and energy to give viewers a fresh perspective on the Winter Olympic Games. Other Winter Olympic champions joining the presenting team include Britain’s greatest Winter Olympian, the two‑time Skeleton gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold, and Curling gold medallist Vicky Wright.

Delivering the human stories that show a different side of sports, content creator Max Balegde and media personality Chris Hughes will be on the ground in Italy capturing the behind-the-scenes moments TV can’t, with exclusive access to the athletes and families, raw reactions and the emotional moments that make the Games so great.

Charley Marlowe, alongside Max and Chris, have filmed with Team GB’s contenders ahead of the Games to create a series of digital profile pieces for BBC iPlayer, giving an insight into their preparation and ambitions for Milan‑Cortina. The films include explorations of what makes the Winter Olympics so unique, showcasing sports such as skiing, snowboarding, speed skating, bobsleigh and figure skating – all designed to give a behind the curtain look at the audiences can’t get anywhere else.

BBC Sport’s website and app will keep audiences up to date, with highlight clips, day-to‑day guides, explainers and in‑depth previews from Team GB and global medal hopefuls.

Team GB heads into the Winter Olympics with one of its strongest medal line-ups in recent memory, blending world champions with a new generation of standout talent. The squad includes two-time skeleton world champion Matt Weston, freestyle skiing world champion Zoe Atkin, World Cup winner Kirsty Muir, and snowboard sensation Mia Brookes - the youngest world champion in history. They’re joined by a curling team in outstanding form, with the men reigning world champions and the women fresh from European silver.

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport says: “The Winter Olympics spotlight the world’s most elite winter athletes as they push the boundaries of speed, precision and excellence across snow and ice, and BBC Sport can't wait to bring audiences all the very best action and medal moments straight from Milan‑Cortina. Our expert line‑up of international winter sport stars, combined with our unmissable coverage, will ensure that the Italy 2026 Olympic Winter Games take pride of place in what promises to be an unforgettable year of sport.”

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How to follow the Winter Olympics 2026 across the BBC

TV and BBC iPlayer

Live coverage and highlights of all major events will be broadcast across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

BBC One: 9am-12pm with Hazel Irvine; 2pm-5.15pm with Jeanette Kwakye

BBC Two: 1pm-2pm with Jeanette Kwakye; 5.15pm-10pm with Clare Balding

Digital and Social

Olympics Extra: live digital stream from 8am-11pm daily

BBC Sport website and app: day‑by‑day guides, sport explainers, medal tables, live text, features and on‑demand clips

BBC Sport social channels: the best moments of the Games as they happen

Radio and BBC Sounds

BBC Radio 5 Live is the radio home of the Winter Olympics, with Katie Smith and Maz Farookhi delivering daily coverage, interviews and reaction.

Full expert line up

The broadcasting team is joined by two stars from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing – Curling gold medallist Vicky Wright along with bobsledder Montell Douglas, also known as Fire from BBC’s Gladiators.

They join a world class team of experts including Britain’s greatest Winter Olympian, two-time gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold (Skeleton), fellow Champion Robin Cousins (Figure Skating), and Olympic Bronze medallists John Jackson (Bobsleigh) and Jenny Jones (Snowboarding).

JJ Chalmers will combine presenting the pre-Games Curling action with reporting on the Bobsleigh and Skeleton events, while Ski Sunday’s Chemmy Alcott and Ed Leigh feature among the team of commentators and pundits.

These include: Steve Cram, Logan Gray and Jackie Lockhart (Curling), Graham Bell, Matt Chilton and Tim Warwood (Skiing/Snowboarding), Simon Brotherton and Wilf O’Reilly (Speed Skating), Katherine Downes (Figure Skating), Seth Bennett and Kent Simpson (Ice Hockey), John Hunt (Bobsleigh, Skeleton & Luge), Rob Walker (Biathlon and Cross Country), and Andy Stevenson (Nordic Skiing and Ski Jumping).

Roaming reporters Chris Hughes and Max Balegde will be in Italy, bringing fans closer to the action than ever before. The reporting team at the Games is completed by Sarah Mulkerrins and David McDaid.

Meet the official hosts

Clare Balding

What defines an unforgettable Winter Olympic Games moment?

The sight of snow on the mountains and the variety of the sports makes the Winter Olympic Games really different from anything else. I love the range from the beauty and elegance of figure skating to the thrill of speed skating or downhill skiing, the complexity of curling to the adrenaline rush of the halfpipe. It’s a real treat for sports fans and for anyone who likes escapism. There will be individuals and teams that shine but overall I think the opportunity to immerse yourself in events that you don’t get to see any other time is what makes it special.

What makes the Italy 2026 Winter Olympics Games feel uniquely exciting for UK audiences compared with previous Games?

This time we will be on site for presentation and reporting which means we can get close to the action and be able to tell the stories in greater depth with more personal interaction. It’s also in a friendly time zone which always helps. The mood in the Team GB camp is very positive so I hope we will see a lot of home success.

Which events or Team GB athletes do you think have the potential to surprise people and capture the nation’s attention?

We have a very strong team and more medal chances than ever before. Matt Weston is setting the standard in bob skeleton. We will celebrate the experienced skiers Andrew Musgrave and Dave Ryding both competing at the their final Olympics. I’m really excited to see the young performers coming through like Snowboarder Mia Brookes - who was world champion at 16 in Big Air, Kirsty Muir - big air and ski slopestyle and Zoe Atkin - ski halfpipe. And of course, the curlers will have us gripped from the very first stone.

In three words, what describes a Winter Olympic winner?

Committed, courageous, creative

Hazel Irvine

What defines an unforgettable Winter Olympic Games moment?

I particularly enjoy the Winter Olympics because it gives us a chance to marvel not just at those who are "faster, higher and stronger" than their competitors. There’s an implicit level of daring and danger in most Winter sports compared to the summer games. For me that makes watching these sports - and with gold medals on the line - an even more intense, fascinating and "heart-in-mouth” experience.

What makes the Italy 2026 Winter Olympics feel uniquely exciting for UK audiences compared with previous Games?

Great Britain’s best medal haul at the Winter Games has been five medals, a tally we’ve achieved twice before in Sochi and Pyeong Chang. There is a quiet confidence that this superb GB Winter Games team has the skill, confidence and experience to surpass that tally this year.

Additionally, it’s been 20 years since we last had a Winter Games that was right in the middle in our European time zone. That was in Torino 2006 - a terrific Games which we presented mostly from Sestriere in the mountain cluster - and it was so special to be able to convey the excitement from Italy and the key moments which were happening only one hour “ahead” of GMT. I think this accessibility to the big medal moments will really provoke a lot of excitement again back home this time.

Which events or Team GB athletes do you think have the potential to surprise people and capture the nation’s attention?

I’m very excited about Team Mouat - Great Britain’s Men’s Curling Team. They’ve swept the competition aside (if you’ll pardon the pun) since winning silver at the last games in Beijing. With Bruce, Grant, Bobbie and Hammy have become multiple world champions and they’ve continued to set new standards in Grand Slam events. We recently had a big chat for a BBC Radio Scotland programme with the boys and to me, they are the very definition of world class. Each one knows exactly their value and role within the team and that their collective best relies upon individual excellence. They are a very impressive unit.

In three words, what describes a Winter Olympic winner?

In a team sport, see above! Overall, Winter Olympic winners are courageous, daring, super-cool under pressure, with incredible creativity, inventiveness, and self-expression. They represent a blast of bracing fresh air in a sporting programme that is dominated for much of the year by traditional team and summer sports. More power to them!

Jeanette Kwakye

What defines an unforgettable Winter Olympic Games moment?

One that unites the nation. Think curling gold 2002 or Torvill and Dean. These are the moments that are so rare to see.

What makes the Italy 2026 Winter Olympics Games feel uniquely exciting for UK audiences compared with previous Games?

Team GB have an amazing chance to really win some medals. I’m excited about the dancers Lilah and Lewis in particular – I think they’ve got a great chance of getting a medal. The Games are so fun to watch and because it’s in our time zone it means lots of people will see them for the first time. Also, there are crop of young skiers/boarders who are going for their second Games which means the gaining experience part is out the way and now they can compete.

Which events or Team GB athletes do you think have the potential to surprise people and capture the nation’s attention?

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson on the ice, Zoe Atkin for the Ski Halfpipe and snowboarder Mia Brookes. From an international perspective the return of Lindsey Vonn from retirement is a great story too!

In three words, what describes a Winter Olympic winner?

Someone FRIGHTENINGLY fearless! (bonkers)

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