2026 Winter Olympics Figure Skating: How to Watch & Schedule

The 2026 Winter Olympics, hosted in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, will showcase figure skating competitions from February 6 to February 21. The events will be held at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Viewers in the United States can tune in via NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSN, and Peacock.

The figure skating program begins with the team event, scheduled from February 6 to February 8. The team event will feature rhythm dance on February 6, pairs short program on February 6, and women’s short program also on February 6. The men’s short program is slated for February 7, followed by the free dance on the same day. The pairs free skate, women’s free skate, and men’s free skate will conclude the team event on February 8.

Beyond the team competition, the individual events will kick off with the ice dance rhythm dance on February 9. The men’s single skating competition is scheduled for February 10, with the ice dance medal event following on February 11. The men’s single skating medal event will be held on February 13. The pairs skating events are set for February 15 and February 16. The women’s singles short program is on February 17, culminating in the women’s single skating medal event on February 19. An exhibition gala will close out the figure skating program on February 21.

This year’s games are particularly noteworthy as they mark the potential Olympic debut of American figure skater Ilia Malinin, dubbed the “Quad God.” He is considered a strong favorite in the men’s competition and is aiming to surpass Nathan Chen’s world record score of 335.30, set in 2019. Malinin has been unbeaten for the past two seasons and recently finished 30 points ahead of the competition at the Grand Prix Final in December.

In the women’s event, the competition is expected to be close, with Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto seeking a golden finish to her competitive career and American Alysa Liu, the 2025 World Champion, also in contention. The team event is anticipated to be a tight race between the United States and Japan, the top two finishers at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

For viewers in the US, Peacock will be the primary streaming platform for all Winter Olympics events. Coverage will also be broadcast on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, and NBCSN. Peacock offers two Premium plans: an ad-supported plan for $10.99 per month and an ad-free Premium Plus plan for $16.99 per month (annual plans are also available with discounted pricing). Live streams will be accessible via Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC app, and the NBC Sports app.

Cord-cutters have several options for accessing the Olympic coverage. Live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV, DirecTV MySports, and Hulu + Live TV offer access to the necessary channels.

For those traveling internationally, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can provide access to the games while maintaining online privacy and security. A VPN encrypts internet traffic and can prevent throttling by internet service providers. ExpressVPN is highlighted as a current top pick, offering no DNS leaks and a 18% speed loss in recent tests. It’s important to note that some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use, so checking the terms of service is advisable.