Milano Cortina 2026 | The Winter Olympics' digital & data strategy

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics represent the latest evolution in the movement’s strategic and digital transformation. Organizers have positioned the Winter Games as “digital-first”, as per the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) global marketing strategy. Meanwhile, the shift towards digital fandom is shaping the strategies behind the International Federations (IF) and winter disciplines stepping into the spotlight.

As with the iterations that came before it, this year’s Winter Games is bringing new features to the table. In Beijing four years ago, the narrative was centred around digital and streaming growth; digital coverage outperformed linear-TV coverage – growing by 24 percent over PyeongChang 2018. The spectacle was described by the IOC as the “most immersive Olympic Winter Games ever” having introduced new technologies to its broadcast operations, such as a virtualized production suite and new virtual reality (VR) features for its coverage

By comparison, Milano Cortina 2026 is introducing platforms such as Fan26, a digital community and engagement platform, which has been designed to enable fans to personalize the user experience (UX) and includes interactive activities and games, athlete stories, and opportunities to contribute fan-generative content. The Official Milano Cortina 2026 App is also consolidating the fan journey with the use of mobile-ticket integration, multilingual support, specially curated multimedia content, and other Winter Games customization features.

Meanwhile, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) is expanding its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its live coverage and audience-facing storytelling, including for automated replays, richer data overlays, as well as the Olympic GPT tool, which provides fans with real-time results, rules, and verified Olympics information. “For Milano Cortina 2026, our focus is not on a single innovation, but on the ability to integrate and scale multiple new technologies to Olympic level,” explains OBS CEO Yiannis Exarchos. “This approach will enable us to deliver the most immersive and dynamic Olympic Winter Games broadcast to date.”

How Olympic innovation fuels International Federations

To capitalize on this shift to digital-first engagement and to augment their data-collection capabilities, governing bodies for winter sports are pivoting too; in some cases, faster than their summer-Olympic counterparts. According to N3XT Sports research, whereas most summer-Olympic IFs at Paris 2024 collect first-party fan data (80.6 percent), only 50 percent of them do so via multiple digital touchpoints. This highlights a disparity between the summer-Olympic Movement’s digital-platform growth and the aptitude for data collection.

By comparison, albeit a lower percentage of governing bodies represented at Milano Cortina 2026 collect first-party fan data (75 percent), our latest research indicates as many as 62.5 percent do so via multiple touchpoints. A higher percentage of winter-Olympic IFs channel data collection via their own newsletters (62.5 percent), mobile apps (37.5 percent), and online fan-predictor games (37.5 percent), for example, albeit fewer do so via dedicated ecommerce and over-the-top (OTT) video-streaming platforms.

Nevertheless, this does not mean winter games are ahead of the digital curve. On the contrary, despite there being a broad base for data collection among winter-Olympic bodies, fewer of them consolidate their data collection via a single sign-on (SSO) compared to their summer counterparts, while collectively summer-Olympic IFs own a higher overall digital and data maturity – outlining an opportunity more broadly for winter-Olympics IFs to optimize their digital portfolios so as to drive greater audience engagement and retention post-Milano Cortina 2026.

Digital & Data Assessment | Winter Olympic IFs

N3XT Sports research is carried out with the purpose of exploring industry benchmarks for digital and data integration. Using our unique methodology, our analysis identifies the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) as the most digitally diverse and data-rich winter-Olympic IF; the IIHF offers a diverse digital portfolio to its fans, a strong social media presence, and a high data-collection score.

The governing body shares common ground with the International Biathlon Union (IBU) as one of two governing bodies which consolidate the fan-data journey via an SSO or universal login. By comparison, on average, winter-Olympic IFs are found to be less digitally mature than their summer counterparts, while there is a direct correlation between the number of digital platforms they own and the strength of their first-party fan-data collection.

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) is the only winter-Olympic IF assessed to score higher for its data collection (60 percent) than its digital products (50 percent), demonstrating a strong data framework, supported by a unique web login, as well as the IBU’s ability to optimize fan-data collection across its entire digital portfolio.
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) has yet to integrate a fan-focused digital-product offering into its ecosystem while the governing body’s digital portfolio focuses on athlete rankings and race results. The IBSF also offers its members access to its dedicated Athlete Hub.
The World Curling Federation’s (WCF) digital products score (40 percent) falls below the winter-Olympic IF average, and receives the average score for its fan-data collection (30 percent). Within its digital portfolio, the WCF collects first-party fan data via its website and the Curling Channel streaming service.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) receives the highest score for its digital products (90 percent) and data collection (80 percent). The governing body launched a new IIHF Fan Engagement app in December 2025, including AI-driven highlights, improved live scores, and enhanced personalization features.
The International Skating Union (ISU) scores lower-than-average for its digital products (30 percent) and data collection (20 percent). While the governing body owns a dedicated website and mobile app, its data collection is focused on newsletter signups, which are made available to users via both web and mobile.
The International Luge Federation (FIL) also scores lower-than-average for its digital products (30 percent) and data collection (10 percent). Its primary source of fan data is collected via the FIL Luge Predictor Game, which offers winners a selection of prizes, while the governing body could benefit from introducing other fan-data touchpoints.
The International Ski and Snowboarding Federation (FIS) receives the second-highest score for its digital products (80 percent), though shows room to improve its data collection (40 percent). Within its diverse digital portfolio, the FIS collects first-party fan data via its website, FIS TV streaming service, and FIS Gaming Zone.
The International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) will make its debut at Milano Cortina 2026, making it the newest inclusion to the Winter Games. The governing body’s digital transformation is naturally in its infancy and is reflected by its low score within our research.

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Strategic Planning | Data strategy fundamental to meaningful transformation

Our research shows that while innovation and high performance are widely valued in Olympic strategy documents, areas such as education, change management, commercial expansion, sustainability, and athlete welfare are comparatively underrepresented. Comparatively, whereas both summer and winter-Olympic IFs prioritize fan engagement and digital transformation, fewer than half place strategic focus on data governance, despite its foundational role in operational efficiency, audience retention, and commercial growth.

Data strategy is fundamental to a sports property’s transformation efforts. Whereas it holds the potential to unify complex ecosystems, without a clear strategy behind their data management, organizations are often run as one-dimensional enterprises, for which high-level decisions are left to human intuition. Using data strategically means leveraging data to gain a full picture of its operations, finding gaps in its performance and where gains can be made.

Yet the value of data-informed strategic planning goes beyond growth; it directly supports brand reputation and risk management. Organizations that integrate fan sentiment analytics into their strategy can more effectively evaluate sponsorship alignment, anticipate reputational risks, and plan for crises. In an era where fan expectations — and scrutiny — are heightened, this capability will give federations a competitive advantage.

“As the sports industry navigates a saturated and unpredictable market in the age of digital consumption, it is essential for rights holders to develop strategic frameworks that serve the strength and durability of their [organization] and to nurture trust and sustainable growth throughout their stakeholder ecosystem,” explains Eloi Pomé, N3XT Sports Strategy and Consulting lead. This will likewise prepare federations in “meeting future market trends”, Eloi expands, including “unforeseen societal shifts and challenges, and the innovations which will require new expertise and training”.

Pathways for Growth: Post-2026

Milano Cortina 2026 represents a pivotal moment to make the winter-Olympic Movement more digitally connected, strategically sophisticated, and legacy-oriented. The strategic focus of Milano-Cortina extends well beyond the fortnight of competition. Sustainability is embedded in the event’s “Now26” impact initiative which ensures renewable energy, circular economy principles, inclusion, accessibility, and economic legacy will be prioritized for the host regions.

Governing bodies in the Olympic Movement have also followed suit, particularly when it comes to studying the environmental impacts of broadcasting and digital consumption. For example, FIS launched the FIS Impact Programme in January 2024 as a roadmap to becoming 50 percent climate neutral by 2030 and rolled out the FIS CO₂ Calculator to help fans be more sustainable.

Looking beyond Milano Cortina 2026, several key areas emerge where the Winter Movement can accelerate growth:

Data Strategy & Consolidation: There’s a clear opportunity for winter-Olympic IFs to adopt more unified digital ecosystems, using SSO and first-party data to drive engagement, sponsorship value, and fan loyalty.
Digital Content & OTT Platforms: Expanding direct-to-consumer video and personalized digital offerings will help build year-round fan communities beyond the Olympic and Paralympic calendars.
Strategic Risk & Brand Planning: Embedding data governance into strategic planning across federations will strengthen both commercial resilience and reputational credibility.
Sustainability & Community Legacies: Building on initiatives like Now26 and venue reuse will enable the Winter Games to serve as engines of long-term social, environmental, and economic impact – matching shifts seen across Summer Games priorities.

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