Japanese state broadcaster NHK will serve as the country’s official media rights partner for the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.
Under the deal, NHK will provide exclusive coverage of the Winter Paralympics, which will take place between March 6 and 15 across Northern Italy, specifically in Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Verona, and Val di Fiemme.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Action from the multi-sport event will be shown across NHK’s free linear channels, digital platforms, and audio services.
Andrea Varnier, chief executive of Milano Cortina 2026, has said: "[NHK’s] long tradition of celebrating the achievements of Paralympic athletes is an extraordinary asset, and we are certain they will offer the Japanese audience top-quality coverage, enriched by excellent broadcasts and authoritative, engaging sports commentary for Milano Cortina 2026 as well.
“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to promoting inclusion, passion, and the extraordinary stories that make the Paralympic Games unique, while also highlighting the quality of the technical skills that make the athletes true protagonists.”
Up to 665 athletes from around 50 countries will compete for 79 medals across six winter Para sports: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe event will also mark 50 years since the first Paralympic Winter Games in Örnsköldsvik (Sweden) in 1976 and 20 years since Torino (Italy) 2006.
The deal builds on NHK’s coverage of the Paralympics since the Tokyo 1964 Games, with its last agreement covering PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, and Paris 2024.
The last edition of the Paralympics, Paris 2024, drew a cumulative audience of 351.62 million in Japan, with 595.01 million hours viewed.
At the last Winter Paralympic Games, Beijing 2022, Japan finished ninth on the overall medals table with seven medals, including four golds.
The rights add to NHK’s multi-sport event coverage, with the state broadcaster also holding rights to the Olympic Games alongside a consortium of Japanese broadcasters and commercial networks as part of a deal running through 2032.
Along with NHK, that Japan Consortium includes the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters of Japan (JBA), comprising NTV, TV Asahi, Fuji TV, TBS, and TV Tokyo.
Their agreement with the International Olympic Committee, signed in 2019, includes exclusive television and digital broadcast rights to four events: Milan-Cortina 2026, Los Angeles 2028, French Alps 2030, and Brisbane 2032.
The new rights deal also adds to the Paralympics’ growing list of broadcast partners, with organizers unveiling commercial free-to-air broadcaster Channel 4 as the UK media rights partner for the 2026 edition.
In November, Italian public service broadcaster Rai was announced as the domestic home of the event, while in October, the exclusive live rights across almost all of Europe were snapped up by the EBU.
That deal specifically excluded Italy, where Rai has now stepped in to provide comprehensive coverage, as well as the UK.
In Australia, meanwhile, media heavyweight Nine Entertainment acquired exclusive broadcast rights to consolidate its coverage, which also includes the Winter Olympics next year.
