The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, are about to dominate television across NBC and the NBCUniversal networks, but what does that mean for your favorite shows?
As is typically the case, other networks may not prefer to air their usual lineups opposite the Olympics, knowing that many will instead be tuning in to watch the Games. But in 2026, that’s not the case for all the networks. Read on as we break down what will be airing across the broadcast networks during the Olympics. The Opening Ceremony is on Friday, February 6, and the Closing Ceremony is on Sunday, February 22.
What is airing on NBC during the Winter Olympics 2026?
This one is easy: the Winter Games. NBC, NBCUniversal networks, and Peacock are the home to all the events out of the Winter Olympics. All of NBC’s programming is preempted while the Olympics are airing.
What is airing on ABC during the Winter Olympics 2026?
Based on the schedule for the week of February 9, ABC will continue to air new episodes of some of its primetime shows. There are going to be new episodes of American Idol and The Rookie on Monday, February 9, as well as one of Will Trent on Tuesday, February 10.
For now, we’ll assume the same will be true for the rest of the Olympics.
What is airing on CBS during the Winter Olympics 2026?
CBS’s primetime lineup isn’t back from its winter break until after the Olympics air, with most of its midseason premieres set for the week of February 23 (the NCISes will return on March 3).
But the network is gearing up for Survivor 50 (with a three-hour premiere on February 25) with two weeks of encore episodes from the show’s history featuring players from the milestone season’s cast. That schedule is as follows:
Monday, February 9 and Tuesday, February 10 (8:00-9:00 PM)
Wednesday, February 11 and Thursday, February 12 (8:00-10:00 PM)
Friday, February 13, Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17 (8:00-9:00 PM)
Wednesday, February 18 through Friday, February 20 (8:00-9:30 PM)
What is airing on Fox during the Winter Olympics 2026?
Just like ABC’s, we’re going by the schedule out for the week of February 8, thus far, and it looks like Fox will be airing new episodes of its lineup. That includes Animation Domination on Sunday, Memory of a Killer on Monday, Best Medicine and Doc on Tuesday, The Masked Singer on Wednesday, and Animal Control and Going Dutch on Thursday.
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