NBCUniversal announces that iHeartMedia will once again serve as its exclusive audio partner for the upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games from Feb. 6-22.
As part of the agreement, iHeartRadio will provide 24/7 play-by-play audio channels of NBCUniversal’s linear coverage of the Games; premiere a new Winter Games season of the original iHeartPodcast “Two Guys, Five Rings” hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers; produce Olympic-specific episodes from some of iHeart’s top podcasts; and promote tune-in for NBCU’s comprehensive coverage.
“Coming off the tremendous success we had in Paris, we’re excited to renew this partnership with iHeartMedia and provide fans with the best Olympic audio content,” says Aileen Sokol, VP, Content Partnership Development, NBC Sports. “From podcasts featuring stars Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, to daily coverage of all our linear programming, this partnership allows iHeart’s extensive audio audience to hear NBCU’s Olympic coverage away from their televisions and screens.”
iHeart’s play-by-play channels will bring fans closer to the excitement of the Winter Games in Italy — with a special focus on Team USA. NBCUniversal’s coverage on iHeart’s channels is expected to include U.S. team ice hockey games, as well as figure skating, speed skating, skiing, snowboarding, and much more.
“We’re eager to build upon our relationship with NBCUniversal and once again deliver premium audio coverage of the Olympic Games, this time focusing on the awe-inspiring athletes and incredible stories set to come from the 2026 Olympic Winter Games,” says Michael Biondo, President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for iHeartMedia. “As the leading destination for sports audio, we’re excited to deepen the connection between audiences and the athletes they love.”
In addition to iHeart’s extensive play-by-play coverage, Saturday Night Live and “Wicked: For Good’s” Bowen Yang and actor-comedian Matt Rogers (“No Good Deed” and “Good Fortune”) return to host a new season of their Olympic-focused original iHeartPodcast “Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics.” The podcast is set to launch weekly episodes in early January, stretching from before the Olympic Opening Ceremony and continuing through the Closing Ceremony in February.
iHeartPodcasts will also produce Olympic-themed episodes for some of its most popular podcasts, including “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” “Ridiculous History,” “Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jules” and “Revisionist History” with Malcolm Gladwell. These shows are distributed by iHeartPodcasts and available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.
With unique and unforgettable backdrops throughout northern Italy, the 2026 Olympic Winter Games will span from Milan to Cortina with events taking place across multiple venues and regions. This will be the second time the Olympics are held in Cortina (1956 Olympic Winter Games) and the fourth time overall that Italy has hosted an Olympic Games (1960 Rome Olympics and 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, which is the last time there was a Winter Games in the Central European Time Zone).
In February 2025, NBCU announced that the NBC broadcast network and streaming service Peacock will be the company’s primary platforms for its coverage of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games, scheduled for Feb. 6-22, 2026.
NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2036, which are scheduled for Milan Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028), French Alps (2030), Brisbane (2032), Salt Lake City (2034), and the 2036 Summer Games.
