At a time when movie theaters are desperate for fresh fare to bring consumers in, NBCUniversal and AMC Theatres have inked a deal that will bring live coverage of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics to the theater owner’s locations.
AMC and NBC say that more than 150 AMC locations across the U.S. will offer select live daytime coverage between Feb. 6-Feb. 22. The live coverage will include figure skating, skiing, snowboarding, hockey, speed skating, and more sports. A promotional trailer for the Olympics has begun running in AMC Theatres in connection with the launch.
NBC and AMC had previously partnered for the 2024 Paris Olympics, with 110 AMC Theatres locations participating, but the new deal is substantially larger.
The Olympics deal comes as the theatrical business continues to hope for a rebound in 2026 after 2025 failed to bring the business back to pre-pandemic levels. Live sports have long been seen as another form of content that can complement theatrical movies in filling seats (the NFL remains the holy grail, but the league has so far resisted any efforts to televise games in theaters).
And NBC is trying to turn the Olympics into a social event, connecting it to the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game for what it is calling “Legendary February.”