02/03/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/03/2026 10:02
STAMFORD, CONN. - February 3, 2026 - NBC Sports has selected Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) to provide AI networking technology for its all-IP production of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Feb. 6-22, and March 6-15, respectively.
With Milan and Cortina, Italy, in the same time zone as Paris, France, the programming plan for the 2026 Winter Games will be similar to NBCUniversal's massively consumed and critically acclaimed coverage of last year's Summer Games, including:
the best events live during the day on NBC
the entire Olympics streaming live on Peacock
an enhanced Olympics primetime show, Primetime in Milan, featuring top events, stars, and stories
comprehensive coverage across numerous cable and digital platforms
return of Gold Zone and Multiview on Peacock
Click here for more on NBCUniversal's Milan Cortina programming.
The Opening Ceremony from San Siro Stadium in Milan will be presented on Friday, Feb. 6, live and in primetime on NBC and Peacock. NBCUniversal is presenting its 20th Olympic Games, 13th consecutive overall, and owns the U.S. media rights on all platforms to all Olympic Games through 2036, which are scheduled for Milan Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028), French Alps (2030), Brisbane (2032), Utah (2034), and the Olympic Games 2036 (host yet to be determined).
NBC Sports will utilize Cisco to deliver AI networking technology for its all-IP production of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, including the deployment of Cisco's IP Fabric for Media at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in Milan, which will allow for the secure and efficient delivery of ultra-high-definition content to viewers back in the United States, as well as new mobility and wireless technologies to put viewers closer to the action than ever before. For the first time, NBC Sports will also leverage Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) technology to prioritize operational efficiency and flexibility, effectively dissolving the geographic barriers that restrict live production.
"For Milan, NBC Network Engineering has expanded our ASR-based MPLS Segment Routed WAN to support growing traffic needs. To ensure NBC Sports can meet on-prem and hybrid cloud workflows, we leverage Cisco CrossWorks Network Controller (CNC) and WAN Automation Engine (WAE)," said Cliff Ryan, Vice President of Network Engineering, NBCUniversal. "This tooling gives NBC network engineers the ability to analyze how traffic moves across our critical backbone and provides 'best in class' failure analysis and capacity planning insight."
Cisco has partnered with NBC Sports for more than a decade, assisting NBC Sports' production efforts at previous Olympics and other major international sports events in Europe, Asia and South America.
"NBC Sports and Cisco continue to raise the bar for delivering exciting and immersive ways for viewers to enjoy the largest sporting event in the world, and with the help of Cisco's secure, agile and intelligent solutions, NBC Sports can effectively scale their all-IP production by integrating more AI into the workflow than ever before," said Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco.
About NBC Sports
NBC Sports connects sports fans to the moments that matter most with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports produces, programs, and promotes premier content across numerous linear and digital platforms, including NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports presents events from many of the world's most prestigious properties, including the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, Notre Dame, Big Ten Conference, Big East Conference, Big 12 Conference, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of America, The R&A, Churchill Downs, Premier League, and many more. It is renowned for making big events bigger and has produced some of the most-watched sporting events in U.S. media history, including Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and Sunday Night Football, primetime television's No. 1 show for 14 consecutive years.
About Cisco
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