If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
The 2026 Winter Olympics have arrived with the Milan Cortina Games kicking off in Northern Italy this week. The games officially start on Friday, Feb. 6, with an opening ceremony show featuring a performance from Mariah Carey.
About 2,900 athletes from 93 countries will be competing for gold medals across 16 sports, including fan favorites like figure skating, ice hockey, snowboarding, skiing, and curling. Ski mountaineering will also make its Olympic debut as the first new event in 24 years. This 25th meeting of the Winter Olympics will also see the welcome return of spectators after the COVID-19 restrictions that were in place at Beijing 2022.
At a Glance: How to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics
One of the biggest storylines going into the Milan Cortina Games is the return of American downhill skier Lindsey Vonn. The three-time Olympic medalist and 84-time World Cup winner ruptured her ACL last week, but still plans to race. Another exciting storyline is the return of top NHL players to the Olympics after more than a decade.
If you're looking to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics, read on. Below is a quick guide on where to livestream the games without cable, including a couple of ways to watch Olympics events for free.
How to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics Online
The 2026 Winter Olympics will air on TV across NBC, USA Network, CNBC, and NBCSN. The game's streaming home will be Peacock, but you can also watch online using a live TV streaming service that carries the above channels. Here's a breakdown of the three best options:
Peacock
Peacock will be streaming all of the Winter Olympics. You'll need one of the streamer's Premium plans to watch the games, which start at $10.99 a month (or $109.99 a year). Peacock does not offer a free trial, but we found a couple of workarounds that we explain in the linked article here.
DirecTV
DirecTV carries all the channels showing Winter Olympics events, and its plans start with a five-day free trial.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV is another great streaming option for watching the Winter Olympics online. The service carries more than 90 channels and starts at $89.99 a month, but you get a three-day free trial to start.
How to Stream the Winter Olympics for Free
If you're looking to watch the Winter Olympics for free, there are a couple of ways. The first is to take advantage of the free trials from DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV. Together, these will give you eight days of free Olympics livestreams.
Another way to watch the Olympics for free is to get access to Peacock through Walmart+ or Instacart+ free trials. Walmart+'s free trial lasts for 30 days (which will cover the entire event), and Instacart+'s free trial lasts for 14 days. Read more about this hack here.
When Are the 2026 Winter Olympics?
The Milan Cortina Games opening ceremony is on Friday, Feb. 6, but there will be preliminary events for some sports starting Wednesday, Feb. 4. The games end with the closing ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22.
