• by Tanya Gazdik , February 8, 2026

Marketing for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games and the Super Bowl intersected on Feb. 6 with the  opening ceremony for the global sporting event. 

"The overlap effectively turns February into a single, extended premium advertising moment, where the Super Bowl and the Olympics reinforce rather than compete with one another, driving heightened demand, premium pricing, and cross-event buys," Rita Steinberg, vice president of media at FUSE Create, tells Emarketer. "As a result, brands are shifting away from one-night 'spike' strategies toward multiweek storytelling, using the Super Bowl to spark attention and the Olympics to sustain reach, frequency, and narrative impact across linear, streaming, and social.”

NBCU sold out the Winter Olympics Games in early January. NBCU did not reveal specific financial details, but said these Games mark "the highest grossing Winter Olympics of all time.”

“Over 100 new advertisers are buying into the Games,” according to Television News Daily. “In addition, it notes that this is the highest-grossing ad revenue for the Winter Olympics for each of its linear TV and digital media businesses. Virtually all its brand partners -- 85% -- are investing in digital media for these Games.”

The number of advertisers buying into NBCU’s premium streamer Peacock for the Games has grown by 31% for Milan Cortina, compared to the levels of the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics. Olympic reach is massive. About 5 billion people globally engaged with Paris Summer Olympics content across platforms, according to YouTube and the International Olympic Committee.

Besides broadcast, activations on the ground in Milan are also a big draw for brands. 

Ralph Lauren has a presence everywhere.

“Ralph Lauren has designed outfits for Team USA for 10 consecutive Olympic Games now, and dressing the nation's athletes for almost 20 years is an ‘honor that never fades,’” says David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, according to CBS News. “According to the company, ‘each item in the uniforms is proudly manufactured in the United States.’”

Starbucks has launched “Starbucks Winter House, a swanky parlor for U.S. figure skaters, hockey players, speed skaters and their families open through the Olympics,” according to USA Today. “Set in a restaurant, the lounge offers low-lit luxury, a chance to relax amid antiques and busts and, well, tons of wine.”

Starbucks also has a campaign tied to the games. “The Coffee Run” debuted during the Opening Ceremony. 

“Created with agency Anomaly, the work turns the familiar act of grabbing coffee for someone into an oversized snowy adventure with charmingly retro storytelling with European vibes,” according to AdAge. “The 90-second film (running as a :60 on TV) follows a man weaving through an Alpine village on a scooter, delivering drinks across town as the journey keeps stretching higher into the mountains, with each handoff adding another layer to the relay.”

Starbucks, which is the Official Coffee Partner of Team USA, also launched a new app-exclusive "hidden" drink, the Iced Brown Sugar Honey Americano, to celebrate the 2026 Winter Olympics kickoff, according to Delish. 

Honda launched its Olympics during the opening ceremony. “The Power of Dreams" from Los Angeles-based Kissd will run throughout the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. 

“Ten Team USA athletes in the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will represent Team Honda and be featured in the new campaign, which spotlights the shared mindset of Team Honda athletes and engineers -- both driven by passion and determination,” according to Marketing Daily. 

Creative features the Team Honda athletes, championship-winning Honda race car drivers and iconic Honda products in motion, underscoring how the same challenging spirit carries through the diverse lineup of Honda products and technologies.

“The effort is designed to be modular, allowing Honda to mix and match creative assets for different channels and incorporate same-day footage into certain TV ads,” according to Marketing Dive. “The brand will also enact Roku takeovers during key Team USA hockey games and deploy first-arrival ads on Peacock for men’s hockey programming.”