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There’s no better way to start the marketing year than by looking ahead to the Milan Winter Olympics. Every two years, the world comes together to watch some of the most talented athletes compete in the biggest arenas and on the largest stages. Fan-favorite sports such as figure skating, snowboarding, bobsledding, and skiing attract millions of viewers. With the Milan Winter Olympics right around the corner, now is the time to plan brand deals and collaborations with thought leaders, influencers, and athletes.
Don’t Miss Beyond the Hype: Building a Defensible Marketing Moat in 2026
This year, the Winter Olympics will be held in Milan, Italy. Athletes such as American figure skater Isabeau Levito have been scouted for brand deals and partnerships. Red Bull brought Isabeau to Milan last year to connect with her Italian heritage and chat with her extended family in the city. With the Milan Winter Olympics approaching, partnerships may need to operate on a smaller scale than sending Olympians. However, your campaigns and partnerships should still have the same creative and inspirational energy.
As with all Olympic Games, millions of people will be tuning in from all around the world.
What Brands Need to Know:
The Olympics bring about the most unexpected breakout stars. Athletes are competitors first, influencers and performers second, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find prominent personalities for the right partnerships. The Paris 2024 Olympics saw several breakout stars:
Simone Biles is always a star when she steps out onto the mat. Biles accumulated an astounding 11 Olympic medals in her career after this year’s Games. She also went viral on social media for a clapback to a comment shading the US women’s gymnastics team.
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Yusuf, who you may have heard as the “Turkish Hitman, became idolized after his famous pose during the 10m air pistol mixed event. Many competitors opted to use lenses, headphones, and other gear to assist them. Yusuf had no gear, but an exceptional aura as he took a relaxed stance and made his shot.
Read more about the Summer Olympics in this report: Olympic Gold in the Digital Age: Paris 2024
It’s a fun surprise to see which iconic moments will emerge from any Olympic Games. New stars are born as athletes and influencers every few years.
Unprecedented Access:
By posting on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, athletes are providing unprecedented access to the Winter Olympic Games. Never before have fans and viewers had this level of intimate access to the Olympic Village. NBC Universal is partnering with YouTube creators to capture the experiences of 40 Olympic hopefuls across a variety of winter sports. This marketing move aims to capture the attention of an audience that prefers the commentary of internet personalities to that of traditional commentators. This is a campaign driven by a shift in media platforms, with more attention to YouTube and TikTok than to live television or streaming. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, YouTube accounted for 17% of global Olympic engagement, generating 12 billion cumulative views and drawing 850 million unique viewers.
Are you a sports fanatic? Take a look at Super Bowl 2026 Influencer Campaigns: The New Playbook.
However, even giant media companies are picking up on some of the biggest stories of the season. Netflix is releasing a documentary series about the world-champion ice-dancing pair, Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
Netflix is priming its audiences to fall in love with this ice dance duo – a pair that fell in love off the ice as well! Even smaller brands can take a page out of this impressive feat of storytelling. These stories can also be repurposed into short-form content that brings the audience into the lives of these incredible Olympians.
Milan: The Olympic City Itself
Finally, it is worth examining the Olympic City itself and how the games’ location will affect brand behavior.
As a global capital of fashion, design, and luxury, Milan brings a distinct cultural lens to the Games. Audiences will expect elevated storytelling, premium aesthetics, and authentic partnerships that align with Italian craftsmanship and style. Brands that lean into design-forward creative, cultural collaborations, and experiential activations—rather than overt sponsorship messaging—are likely to resonate more strongly.
From a media and marketing standpoint, the Milan Winter Olympics will command massive global viewership, but consumption patterns will skew heavily toward digital and social platforms. Younger audiences, in particular, will engage with short-form video, creator-led coverage, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive experiences, rather than relying solely on traditional broadcasts. For brands, this means influencer partnerships, athlete creators, and real-time social storytelling will be just as important as official sponsorship placements.
The Attention Economy in 2026: Where Influencers Win
Brands should plan early. Olympic partnerships, athlete endorsements, creator collaborations, and experiential campaigns often require long lead times. The most successful brands will integrate the Games into broader marketing strategies—connecting Olympic storytelling to product launches, seasonal campaigns, and long-term brand narratives. Milan–Cortina 2026 is not just a sporting event; it’s a cultural moment, and brands that approach it with creativity, authenticity, and strategic foresight will have the most significant impact.
