NBCUniversal Extends Exclusive Audio Partnership with iHeartMedia for Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games

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10/29/2025 - 09:30 AM

Audio of NBC Linear Coverage of Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Will Be Presented 24/7 by iHeartRadio

NBCUniversal Will Leverage iHeart’s Audio Platforms and Programs to Promote Tune-In for Extensive Olympic Winter Games 2026 Coverage

NBCUniversal and iHeartMedia To Collaborate on Olympic Episodes for Popular iHeartPodcasts; Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers Return to Host Original Winter Olympics-Focused iHeartPodcast “Two Guys, Five Rings”

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NBCUniversal today announced that iHeartMedia will once again serve as its exclusive audio partner for the upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games from February 6 to February 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,” said 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 every gold-medal finish and triumphant moment set to come from NBCU’s wide-ranging coverage 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,” said 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. Listen here for Matt and Bowen’s season one look ahead to the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

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. Click here for more programming information and here for information about the Paralympics, which will take place March 6-15, 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.

About NBCUniversal

NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our theme parks and consumer experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, USA Network, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Universal Studio Group, and have world-renowned theme parks and attractions through Universal Destinations & Experiences. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Visit www.nbcuniversal.com for more information.

About iHeartMedia

iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet; twice the size of the next largest broadcast radio company; and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to Podtrac, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, with five times more followers than the next audio media brand, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.