Is this the new normal for a once Winter Olympics powerhouse? 

The 2026 Winter Olympics held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, have concluded. Let’s analyze the countries that excelled, the nations that struggled—and how Canada did.

Milano Cortina 2026 was a highly successful event in terms of overall viewership. “With 24 media rights-holders and more than 80 sublicensees, the Olympic Winter Games are reaching billions of people worldwide across all platforms,” the International Olympic Committee noted on its website on Feb. 18, and “broadcasters report that audience expectations are being surpassed in every time zone.”

Anne-Sophie Voumard, managing director of IOC Television and Marketing Services, pointed out that “two out of three people have watched coverage of the Games” in Italy, which was a “higher proportion than for Paris 2024.” It averaged 24.3 million viewers in the U.S. on NBCUniversal platforms as measured up to Feb. 16. That’s an increase of “88 per cent compared to Beijing 2022 at the same point.” Overall U.S. coverage “topped 20 million viewers for each of the first 11 days of competition.” In Asia, broadcasters reported “strong performances despite the time difference,” while coverage in “non-traditional winter sports markets” like Australia and Brazil reached “new highs.”

The medal count is down, the rankings are down and the warning lights are flashing.Troy Media

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Streaming was also “driving significant growth.” As Voumard wrote,........

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