Fondazione Milano Cortina has awarded the EBU exclusive 2026 Paralympic Winter Games media rights.
The award follows a Request for Information (RFI) process led by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and will see at least 25 European Broadcasting Union (EBU) members provide all platform coverage of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in their respective territories.
Under the terms of the award, which excludes the UK and Italy, coverage will be provided across free-to-air and pay platforms and will include non-exclusive radio rights. Access to the Games will be available via simulcast livestream and video on demand.
For the first time in the competition’s history, Warner Bros. Discovery will broadcast daily event highlights on its linear sports channels. Additionally, the EBU’s premier free streaming platform, Eurovision Sport, will broadcast all six Paralympic winter sports to complement member broadcasts. The EBU will offer its most comprehensive digital coverage of the 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 longstanding experience of managing the rights to the Paralympic Games, working with the Organising Committees until London 2012 and with the IPC since Sochi 2014.
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.
Taking place between 6 to 15 March 2026, the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will mark the event’s 50th anniversary. According to research carried out by Nielsen Sports on behalf of the IPC, the Beijing 2033 Paralympic Winter Games generated more than 1,900 hours of broadcast coverage.
