By
Max McCaskill Sr. Staff Writer
Updated

Olympic rings in front of snowy mountain range.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are in Milano Cortina, Italy.
Image: Peacock

The 2026 Winter Olympics are about to kick off in Milano Cortina, Italy. The Games typically mean most of us will spend a solid two weeks watching some of the greatest athletic events on the planet. That said, the way people watch the Olympics has changed. Cord-cutting has seen more customers leaving their old cable contracts than ever before. Luckily, you can still watch the Games, even if you can no longer access your old channels.

Generally, any streaming service that has access to NBC content will show the main Olympic broadcasts. The best experience overall is from NBC-owned Peacock, but streaming services that mimic cable packages—like Hulu + LiveTV and YouTube TV—will also have access.

We’ve got a list of the five best places to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics without a cable subscription, along with some great tips on how to improve your viewing experience. Read on to learn more.

2026 Winter Olympics fast facts:

  • The 2026 Winter Olympics host city is Milano Cortina, Italy.
  • The first Olympic events kick off on Friday, February 6 and run through Sunday, February 22.
  • Opening Ceremony is in Milan on February 6 at 8 p.m. ET.
  • There are 16 different sport disciplines at this year’s Games.
  • NBC holds the broadcasting and streaming rights to the Olympics.
  • Streaming services will show live and pre-recorded events.

The 5 best streaming services showing the 2026 Winter Olympics


NBC holds the broadcasting rights for the Olympics in the United States. Virtually all of the content coming out of Milano Cortina will be shown on the company’s channels. These include your local NBC affiliate, USA Network, E!, CNBC, Telemundo, and GOLF Channel. Peacock, NBC’s streaming app, will also have special live broadcasts not included on cable channels.

The best—and cheapest—option for watching the Olympics is Peacock. That said, any live TV streaming service with access to the above channels will have Olympic coverage.

Here are the best options for streaming the 2026 Winter Olympics:

2026 Winter Olympics streaming services

Streaming service Cost
Peacock $7.99/month
Hulu + Live TV $89.99/month
YouTube TV $82.99/month
Sling TV $45.99/month
FuboTV $73.99/month

1. Peacock

Peacock app event viewing options.
Image: Max McCaskill

NBC’s streaming service Peacock is the easiest and cheapest way to watch the Games without a cable subscription. If you’re going to watch the Olympics, you might as well get your content straight from the source. Plans start at just $7.99/month and include live broadcasts of all the events from NBC’s channels.

Peacock has improved its Olympic coverage quite a bit since the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Like 2024's Summer Games, it's offering an exclusive viewing experience called Discovery Multiview that will help you track multiple events at the same time. Plus, there is a Daily Olympic Recap feature that will show the must-see moments of the day.

2. Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV Olympic channel options.
Image: Hulu

Hulu + Live TV starts at $89.99/month. As a television streaming app, it essentially replicates your cable package online. You’ll have access to virtually all of the channels showing the Olympic Games, including NBC, CNBC, USA, and GOLF Channel.

The added benefit of the Hulu + Live TV package is that it also comes with the full slate of ESPN’s channels, Fox Sports channels, CBS Sports, MLB Network, NFL Network, and a subscription to ESPN+. Note that ESPN+ includes original programs and less popular sports but does not include the live ESPN channel broadcasts. Still, these options will keep you busy and able to follow your favorite sports long after the Olympics end.

3. YouTube TV

YouTube TV starts at $82.99/month. It offers a similar package to Hulu, including NBC, CNBC, USA, and GOLF Channel.

YouTube TV has one of the largest channels offerings of any television streaming service. It includes popular channels you know and love, as well as many smaller digital offerings you might not know about. It also includes most of the same cable sports channels as Hulu + Live TV. Unfortunately, it does not have access to ESPN+.

4. Sling TV

Sling TV is the cheapest television streaming service on this list, at $45.99/month. It’s priced lower because it offers fewer channels. The Sling TV Blue Package will offer the best viewing experience for the 2026 Winter Olympics. It includes access to E! and USA Network. That said, depending on your location, Sling might not have access to your local NBC channel. You should make sure your local channel is covered before signing up.

Sling also has access to a limited selection of sports channels, such as ESPN, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), and the NFL Network. However, you’ll have to pay more and combine Sling plans to get full access.

5. FuboTV

FuboTV offers a ton of channels for its starting price of $73.99. You’ll get access to all the Olympic channels, including NBC, USA Network, E!, CNBC, and GOLF Channel. Plus, it includes virtually all the standard cable sports channels, including ESPN, CBS Sports, and Fox Sports.

For a limited time, you can get your first month for as little as $48.99, allowing you to stream the Olympics for cheaper and then decide if you want to keep the service or not.

FuboTV is fine for the Olympics, but we don’t think it’s a great sports package for the longterm. Some sports channels included as standard options in competitors’ packages—like ESPNU and other college athletics channels—are only included in its more expensive channel tiers.

Enhance your Olympics viewing experience


Once you’ve picked a streaming service, the final step is to enhance your viewing experience in a few simple ways.

1. Mirror phone to television

Tons of people will use their phones to watch the Olympics this year, but nobody wants to be stuck watching their favorite events on a small screen. Luckily, most smartphones can mirror their screens to nearby televisions.

Cast the Olympics from your iPhone to a nearby TV with AirPlay.
Cast the Olympics from your iPhone to a nearby TV with AirPlay.
Image: Max McCaskill

If you’re an Apple user, check out our guide on mirroring your iPhone to your TV for complete instructions. We’ll tell you how to connect your iPhone to most models of televisions through AirPlay, live casting, and HDMI cables. Androids can also send live events to televisions using the Google Cast feature and AirDroid Cast, depending on the smartphone.

2. Get a faster internet plan

You’ll need a fast internet connection if you’re looking for a high-quality stream of the Olympics. A solid internet speed for most homes is 25-100Mbps, but if you want to stream in 4K quality, you’ll need a minimum speed of 50Mbps.

If you don’t think your home internet will give you a good Olympic viewing experience, check out our internet speed guide or test your speed below:

Internet Speed Test

Is your internet fast enough? Test internet speeds at your location with a single click.

3. Watch on the go with an unlimited phone plan

The Games will occur six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the U.S. That means popular afternoon events in Milan will happen during the hours when most Americans are at work and, most likely, sneaking a peek at the Games under their desks.

An unlimited data plan is best for people who want to stream the Olympics on their phones. The good news is that unlimited plans don’t have to break the bank.

Mint Mobile offers excellent service on T-Mobile’s network. You’ll have excellent coverage for streaming since T-Mobile has the nation’s largest 5G network. You can snag the Unlimited Data plan with 50GB of premium data and a 20GB mobile hotspot for just $30/month ($15/month for new customers).

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Visible is an excellent option for streaming on the Verizon network. The Visible+ plan offers unlimited premium 5G ultra-wideband data, ensuring you won’t encounter any lag, for just $35/month. Plus, it includes an unlimited mobile hotspot with speeds capped at 10Mbps. That’s a perfect option for using your hotspot to watch the Games on a laptop or tablet.

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If you’re interested in AT&T and its excellent rural coverage, you can look into Red Pocket and its Monthly Unlimited Plan for $30/month. The plan includes 50GB of premium data and offers mobile hotspot capability. While it is a smaller data allotment than many other unlimited plans, you should have no problem streaming the Olympics. Just make sure to connect to Wi-Fi whenever you can.

Red Pocket
Red Pocket

Premium Monthly Plan (CDMA)

  • Unlimited 4G LTE/5G data
  • 10GB mobile hotspot data
  • Deal: Get 50% off your first month of service with this monthly plan. New customer only.
$30.00/mo

Max McCaskill

Sr. Staff Writer

Max McCaskill
Max is a Senior Staff Writer at WhistleOut, specializing in mobile plans, operating systems, and carrier news. He regularly tests and reviews dozens of phone plans firsthand, evaluating real-world data speeds, coverage reliability, and plan features. He's been featured in publications such as Yahoo Finance, AARP, AP News, and GoBankingRates.

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