Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has reported its best-ever streaming performance for an Olympic Winter Games, with triple-digit growth across Europe during Milano-Cortina 2026.
Across 17 days of competition between 6–22 February 2026 – plus two days of pre-Opening Ceremony action – audiences increased on both streaming and linear television compared with Beijing 2022.
The company said total hours viewed across HBO Max and discovery+ rose 103% versus Beijing 2022, with triple-digit growth recorded in France, Germany and Italy on HBO Max, and in the UK on discovery+. Combined, the two platforms delivered 234% more viewers than four years ago.
Subscriber engagement was also front-loaded. WBD said the number of subscribers streaming Milano-Cortina 2026 content exceeded the total that watched the entire Beijing 2022 Games after just three days of full competition (6–8 February).
Social media also played a significant role in driving audiences to streaming platforms. Video views across Eurosport accounts in Europe and TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland surpassed 4bn, up 580% on Beijing 2022.
Innovative product features were credited with boosting engagement. For the first time, viewers were able to stream up to four live events concurrently through Olympics Multiview, with 32% of users taking advantage of the feature. In total, WBD streamed all 246 live sessions, including 116 medal contests, with as many as 11 concurrent events.
Additional tools such as Gold Medal Alerts, Timeline Markers and personalised watch lists were widely adopted, while coverage was available in up to 21 commentary languages.
Andrew Georgiou, President & Managing Director, WBD Sports Europe, said the Games had delivered “substantial streaming viewership and engagement growth in addition to highly robust linear audiences”.
“Three times as many people chose to stream the Games with us compared to Beijing 2022,” he said. “This Olympics has set an incredibly strong foundation as we look to Los Angeles 2028 and the Olympic Winter Games returning to Europe again for French Alps 2030.”
Linear channels also saw growth despite wider declines in traditional TV consumption. Overall linear viewing increased 3% compared with Beijing 2022, while hours viewed rose 51%.
On Eurosport channels, hours viewed were up 47% in France, 50% in Germany and 32% in Poland. TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland recorded a 60% increase in hours viewed.
HBO Max (Europe) and discovery+ (UK) were the only platforms offering every event live, while Eurosport and TNT Sports delivered comprehensive coverage across their respective territories.
