The Winter Olympics have returned for 2026. Hosted in Milan Cortina, this year’s event technically already started with some qualifying curling events earlier this week. However, we’ve still got an Opening Ceremony to really kick things off.
Like previous Olympics, this year’s events will be broadcast by NBC and will stream exclusively on Peacock. If you’re already subscribed to Peacock or a cable provider, you’re covered! If not, there happens to be a free trial of the service available through Walmart+ that can get you streaming access.
When Is the 2026 Opening Ceremony?
This year’s opening ceremony will kick off at 2pm ET, which is 8pm local time in Italy, on February 6, 2026. The ceremony will likely run for a total of three hours, and will be broadcast again during primetime at 8pm ET.
The ceremony will include the Parade of Nations as well as performances from artists like Mariah Carey. This will be the first Opening Ceremony to feature the lighting of two separate cauldrons: one in Milan, and one in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Streaming Options
Let’s get to the heart of the matter. In general, the Winter Olympics, including the Opening Ceremony, are being streamed exclusively on Peacock. If you don't already have a Peacock Premium subcription, maybe this is the motivating factor to pick one up. If so, it's worth noting that the service now has a pretty reasonably priced bundle with Apple TV.
The one thing Peacock doesn’t happen to offer? A free trial. You have to pay the monthly cost upfront to get access. So, if you’d prefer not to pay for any subscription, you have a slightly funkier option.
While Peacock itself no longer offers any freebies, you can include Peacock in a Walmart+ subscription, which does happen to offer a whopping 30-day free trial. If you sign up right before the Opening Ceremony, you’ll essentially get access to the entire Winter Olympics for free. As long as you remember to cancel at the end of the trial, of course.
Free Trial Available
Generally speaking, Walmart+ subscriptions include early access to Walmart deals and free shipping, but for the streaming-inclined, you also get the choice between a Paramount+ Essential or Peacock Premium (with ads) subscription. This subscription is roped into the standard monthly Walmart+ cost of $12.95. Yep, pretty much the same cost as either standalone subscription, making it weirdly enough one of best streaming bundles on the market right now.
