Every four years, the sport of figure skating takes center stage at the Winter Olympics as hundreds of athletes from around the world compete for honor and glory.
The 2026 Milan Cortina Games will prove no different, with skaters flocking to northern Italy to showcase their technical abilities, grace and composure on the ice. The figure skating competition will start on Friday, Feb. 6 and end on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Here’s everything to know about how to watch figure skating at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
Overview of Olympic Figure Skating
Figure skating, the oldest event at the Winter Olympics, debuted in 1908 and has since grown into one of the most enthralling sports at the Games displaying a blend of graceful elegance, impressive athleticism, technical precision and skill.
There are five figure skating events: men’s and women’s single skating, pair skating, ice dance and a team competition. The ice dance and the team competition are the newer events, which were added to the Games in 1976 and 2014 respectively.
The United States and Russia are historically two of the best countries in Olympic figure skating. While Russia holds the most gold medals of all time, the United States has the highest total medal count with 54 medals (17 gold) as of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. Other countries to watch include Japan, Canada and Austria.
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 17 | 16 | 21 | 54 |
| Russia | 25 | 15 | 8 | 48 |
| Canada | 6 | 11 | 12 | 29 |
| Austria | 7 | 9 | 4 | 20 |
| Great Britain | 5 | 3 | 7 | 15 |
| Japan | 3 | 5 | 3 | 11 |
Olympic Figure Skating Rules & Format
Within the men’s, women’s and pairs competitions, there are two rounds: a short program that has mandatory technical elements (i.e. jumps, spins, steps), and a free program that also has mandatory technical elements but allows for more creative freedom. Skaters will pick the music to their programs themselves.
The pairs competitions include more technical elements (i.e. throws, overhead lifts, death spirals), and the pair must perform a few movements together, with the goal to be as synchronized as possible.
A figure skating performance is based on rhythm, choreography and footwork. Skaters earn points for technical skills, where harder moves are worth more (have a higher base value). Scores for each event are decided by a panel of two technical specialists and a technical controller, who assess the technical elements of a performance. Separately, a panel of nine judges assess the quality of execution and other artistic elements (i.e. interpretation). The sum of the scores determines the winner at the end of the two rounds.
In ice dance competitions, skaters will perform both a rhythm dance and a free dance. Skaters will not get to pick the music genre; instead, the International Skating Union (ISU) chooses the music each year.
In team competitions, there is a qualifying phase and a final phase. Each phase is divided into the traditional two rounds: the short program (called the rhythm dance) and free program (called the free dance), as mentioned above. The qualifying phase takes place before the Opening Ceremony.
Olympic Figure Skating TV Schedule
Here are the key dates to know for figure skating competitions at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games:
- Team event: Friday, Feb. 6 to Sunday, Feb. 8
- Ice dance: Monday, Feb. 9 and Wednesday, Feb. 11
- Men's singles: Tuesday, Feb. 10 and Friday, Feb. 13
- Pairs: Sunday, Feb. 15 and Monday, Feb. 16
- Women's singles: Tuesday, Feb. 17 and Thursday, Feb. 19
Here's what the live broadcast schedule looks like for all figure skating events, beginning on Feb. 6. All times are EST. All competitions will take place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
Bolded events signify medal events.
Friday, Feb. 6
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Team Event (Rhythm) | 4:00 a.m. ET | USA Network |
| Team Event: Pairs (Short) | 5:35: a.m. ET | USA Network |
| Team Event: Women’s (Short) | 7:35 a.m. ET | USA Network |
| Team Event (Rhythm) | 12:00 p.m. ET | NBC |
| Team Event: Pairs (Short) | 12:30 p.m. ET | NBC |
| Team Event: Women’s (Short) | 1:00 p.m. ET | NBC |
Saturday, Feb. 7
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Team Event: Men’s (Short) | 1:45 p.m. ET | NBC |
| Team Event (Free) | 4:00 p.m. ET | NBC |
Sunday, Feb. 8
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Team Event (Free) | 2:00 a.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
| Team Event: Pairs (Free) | 1:30 p.m. ET | USA Network |
| Team Event: Women’s (Free) | 2:45 p.m. ET | USA Network |
| Team Event: Men’s (Free) | 3:55 p.m. ET | USA Network |
Monday, Feb. 9
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Team Event: Pairs, Women’s, Men’s (Free) | 1:30 a.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
| Ice Dance (Rhythm): Warm-Up | 11:20 a.m. ET | Streaming only |
| Ice Dance (Rhythm): Part 1 | 1:20 a.m. ET | USA Network |
| Ice Dance (Rhythm): Part 2 | 2:40 a.m. ET | NBC |
Tuesday, Feb. 10
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Dance (Rhythm) | 2:00 a.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
| Men’s Singles (Short): Warm-Up | 11:05 a.m. ET | Streaming only |
| Men’s Singles (Short): Part 1 | 12:30 p.m. ET | USA Network |
| Men’s Singles (Short): Part 2 | 1:45 p.m. ET | NBC |
Wednesday, Feb. 11
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Singles (Short) | 2:00 a.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
| Ice Dance (Free): Warm-Up | 11:00 a.m. ET | Streaming only |
| Ice Dance (Free): Part 1 | 1:30 p.m. ET | USA Network |
| Ice Dance (Free): Part 2 | 2:15 p.m. ET | NBC |
Thursday, Feb. 12
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Dance (Free) | 1:30 a.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
Friday, Feb. 13
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Singles (Free): Warm-Up | 10:45 a.m. ET | Streaming only |
| Men’s Singles (Free): Part 1 | 1:00 p.m. ET | USA Network |
| Men’s Singles (Free): Part 2 | 3:00 p.m. ET | NBC |
Saturday, Feb. 14
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Singles (Free) | 2:00 a.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
Sunday, Feb. 15
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Pairs (Short): Warm-Up | 11:20 a.m. ET | Streaming only |
| Pairs (Short): Part 1 | 1:45 p.m. ET | USA Network |
| Pairs (Short): Part 2 | 3:00 p.m. ET | NBC |
Monday, Feb. 16
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Pairs (Short) | 2:00 p.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
| Pairs (Free): Warm-Up | 11:30 a.m. ET | Streaming only |
| Pairs (Free): Part 1 | 2:00 p.m. ET | USA Network |
| Pairs (Free): Part 2 | 3:55 p.m. ET | NBC |
Tuesday, Feb. 17
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Pairs (Free) | 2:00 a.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
| Women’s Singles (Short): Warm-Up | 10:20 a.m. ET | Streaming only |
| Women’s Singles (Short): Part 1 | 12:45 p.m. ET | USA Network |
| Women’s Singles (Short): Part 2 | 2:40 p.m. ET | NBC |
Wednesday, Feb. 18
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s Singles (Short) | 1:30 a.m. ET (Re-air) | USA Network |
Thursday, Feb. 19
| Event | Time | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s Singles (Free): Warm-Up | 10:30 p.m. ET | Streaming only |
| Women’s Singles (Free) | 1:00 p.m. ET | NBC |
How to Watch Olympic Figure Skating With and Without Cable
Cable and Satellite Providers
NBC owns the exclusive broadcast rights for this year's Games, so most of the events will be aired on the network's flagship channel country-wide. Many cable packages also include the USA Network, which will host any overflow programming from NBC.
Those who have cable can also authenticate online using their cable subscription, which allows access to live streams of Olympic events on NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC app or the NBC Sports app. Streams can be viewed in web browsers, phones, tablets or connected TV devices.
Streaming Services
Many Olympic events will also be streamed on Peacock. There is no free trial at this time.
For new subscribers, Peacock with ads offers two packages: monthly and annual. The monthly package costs $7.99 per month, and the annual costs $79.99 per year.
More on Sports Illustrated
- Everything We Know About a Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade
- Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame Snub Is a Wake-Up Call for His North Carolina Tenure
- Patrick Reed Announces Stunning Return to PGA Tour
- Why No. 3 Michigan Hoops Losing Its Dominant Early Form Isn’t a Reason to Panic
- Xander Schauffele Is Ready for a Fresh Start at Torrey Pines
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Olympic Figure Skating TV Schedule for 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
