NBC Sports relies on Audio-Technica for the Milano Cortina Games

For its coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Italy, NBC Sports is relying on Audio-Technica for a large share of its audio capture at every sports venue. The equipment helps carry sound from the venues in Milan and Cortina back to American viewers. The arrangement was announced on February 3, 2026, just ahead of the opening ceremony.

A partnership reaching 25 years

The 2026 Games mark 25 years of cooperation between NBC Sports and the Japanese audio company. Karl Malone, senior director of audio engineering at NBC Sports, said Audio-Technica's technology has been a key part of NBC Olympics productions around the world. He credited its microphones as the base of an audio chain built for sound quality and reliability, both in the host city and at NBC's broadcast facility in Stamford, Connecticut.

On the supplier side, the project is handled by Rodrigo Thomaz, project manager for broadcast partnerships at Audio-Technica, who holds technical responsibility for the collaboration. He said the company is again providing a large package of microphones, headsets and headphones built to meet NBC Sports' technical demands. In his words, the broadcaster continues to trust the brand "on audio quality and logistical excellence."

The broadcast schedule

The opening ceremony from San Siro Stadium in Milan was set to air on Friday, February 6, live in primetime on NBC and Peacock. These Games are NBCUniversal's 20th Olympics and its 13th in a row.

The company holds the U.S. media rights across all platforms to every Olympic Games through 2036. That covers Milan Cortina in 2026, Los Angeles in 2028, the French Alps in 2030, Brisbane in 2032, Utah in 2034, and the 2036 Games, whose host has not yet been chosen.