Fondazione Milano Cortina awards exclusive rights to European Broadcasting Union

Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 today (16 October) confirmed that the exclusive media rights across continental Europe (excluding Italy and the United Kingdom) for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games have been awarded to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Following a highly competitive Request for Information (RFI) process led by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the decision to appoint the EBU will see at least 25 EBU Member* broadcasters provide extensive coverage of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games across all platforms in their respective territories. As part of the agreement, and for the first time in Paralympic Games history, Warner Bros. Discovery will broadcast daily event highlights on their linear sports channels.

Coverage will be delivered on both free-to-air and pay platforms and will include non-exclusive radio rights. Audiences will be able to access the Games via simulcast livestream and video on demand.

Additionally, Eurovision Sport, the EBU’s premier free streaming platform, will broadcast all six Paralympic winter sports, complementing EBU Member broadcasts and offering the EBU’s most comprehensive digital coverage of the Paralympic Winter Games to date.

Andrea Varnier, CEO of Milano Cortina 2026 said: “We are proud to collaborate with the European Broadcasting Union to ensure broad, free-to-air access to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games across the continent. The involvement of Warner Bros. Discovery further enriches this partnership, adding new storytelling perspectives and enhancing the overall media experience through its daily highlights coverage. Together, we will bring the excitement, emotion and world-class performances of the Paralympic Winter Games into millions of European homes, inspiring new audiences and celebrating the power of sport.”

The EBU has managed the rights to the Paralympic Games for a number of years, working with the Organising Committees until London 2012 and with the IPC since Sochi 2014. By securing the rights to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, the EBU further pledges its commitment to promoting the Paralympic Movement and expanding access to inclusive sports coverage across Europe.

Glen Killane, Executive Director, EBU Sport said: “We’re excited to have the Paralympic Winter Games rights back at the EBU, bringing the magic of Milano Cortina 2026 to audiences across Europe through the collective strength of our Members and our Eurovision Sport platform. Public service media has the unique ability to deliver major events to mass audiences, free-to-air, while also reaching younger and more diverse fans online.

“This will also be our most extensive digital coverage of the Paralympic Winter Games to date, with a wide range of content made available to engage fans wherever they are. This agreement shows what’s possible when we work together, uniting trusted media with innovative digital engagement.”

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will take place from 6 to 15 March 2026 and will mark the 50th anniversary of the event. The Games will bring together up to 655 Para athletes who will compete in 79 medal events across six sports: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.

According to research conducted by Nielsen Sports on behalf of the International Paralympic Committee, the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games generated more than 1,900 hours of broadcast coverage, underscoring the growing global interest in Para sport.

*EBU Members committed as of signature:
ORF (Austria), RTBF & VRT (Belgium), HRT (Croatia), CT (Czechia), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland), France Televisions (France), GPB (Georgia), ARD & ZDF (Germany), ERT (Greece), RUV (Iceland), LSM (Latvia), LRT (Lithuania), NOS (Netherlands), NRK (Norway), TVP (Poland), STVR (Slovakia), RTVS (Slovenia), RTVE (Spain), SVT (Sweden), SRG SSR (Switzerland), TRT (Türkiye), Suspilne Ukraine (Ukraine).

About EBU
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s leading alliance of public service media (PSM). We have 113 Member organizations in 56 countries and have an additional 31 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas. Our Members operate nearly 2,000 television, radio and online channels and services, and offer a wealth of content across other platforms. Together they reach an audience of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in 153 languages. We operate Eurovision and Euroradio services.