Olympic, Paralympic brands dazzle in front of record global audience at Milano Cortina 2026

The GIST: Americans dig the Winter Olympics. Last week, the first five days of the Winter Olympics wrapped with 26.5M viewers across NBC platforms, a 93% increase over a comparable period at Beijing 2022. This has been followed with record-breaking global audiences fueled by digital and social growth: Social engagement has doubled since Beijing 2022, with Olympic digital platforms surpassing 100M users.

• Powered by social media, streaming, and the “cool factor,” NBC — and other companies, especially TOP sponsors — are fully unlocking the power of the Winter Olympics. Let’s review how a few leading brands are seeking opportunities in the snowy Dolomites. Andiamo.

🏠 Worldwide Olympic partner Airbnb is defining hospitality at Casa Airbnb, the brand’s hub at the Games. The space gives cozy hygge vibes as people congregate around food, cooking workshops, and even DJ sets. In addition to this hangout, the brand has turned to several women athletes to push its new Experiences feature at the Games.

• British freestyle skier Zoe Atkin led a waffle-making class to share her fave pre-competition meal, while on the slopes, Airbnb Experience customers watched the men’s halfpipe finals with pro snowboarder Jamie Anderson. That’s not the only way it’s being hospitable: Every Olympic and Paralympic athlete banks $500 in travel grant through its Airbnb500 program.

👕 NOC Competition Uniform Support Programme allows fashion brands to do good while making athletes look good. National team kits are expensive, especially for countries just developing their winter sports offerings. This program connects countries that don’t have the full resources to provide adequate equipment with brands able to offer national team kits and gear.

• Established in Rio 2016, the program helped over 1K athletes by 2022, and it’s working with another 27 athletes from 12 nations at these Games, including Albania, Bolivia, Eritrea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. This year, Adidas, Decathlon, Oakley, Odlo, Mizuno, and Under Armour are pitching in.

🥇 Brands are lining up to amplify their Paralympic presence. While Toyota and Bridgestone were established players in the space, more recent partners like Delta, Airbnb, and Comcast are working with Olympians and Paralympians. German insurance brand Allianz is one of the biggest TOP sponsors zeroed in on the Paralympics, while Procter & Gamble has also stepped up to the plate.

• There’s still room for newcomers, even those outside TOP partnerships. Respondents in a UK study cited TikTok’s 2024 ad as one of the most influential Paralympic campaigns for Paris 2024, 68% felt positively about Paralympic sponsors, and 42% thought health and wellness brands have a prime opportunity in Para sports. A healthy investment.