The Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games have " propelled biathlon to new heights "That's what the IBU stated after the event, based on data from television and social media. France recorded a peak of 6,5 million viewers, almost as good as the 6,638 million in Germany. CT Sport achieved an unprecedented audience for biathlon in the Czech Republic (1,7 million viewers and a 55% audience share during the mixed relay), as did Rai in Italy (2,73 million viewers for the women's sprint). In Norway, NRK has reached 90% market share during the mixed relay.
« Biathlon was the most popular sport on social media during the Olympic Games. "This is a welcome development," the IBU stated. During February 2026, the IBU recorded 448 million impressions (20 times more than in 2022). over 313 million views videos (116 times more than in 2022), more than 15 million engagements (a 900% increase), and 840,000 subscribers gained (+17,34% compared to before the Games).
These figures validate the IBU's communication strategy, which notably involved collaboration with three influencers to reach young people Ludovica Olgiati (2,2 million TikTok followers, 980.000 on Instagram) and Sebastiano Nicoli (430.000 Instagram followers) appeal to the Italian public, while Briton James Foreman (one million TikTok followers) targets a more international audience. One of his videos, in which he pretends to be a biathlete in his apartment, was even commented on by Emilien Jacquelin and liked by Martin Fourcade.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DU0uv9sClAt/?hl=fr
More than 170.000 tickets have been sold for the events in Antholz, representing approximately 13% of all tickets sold for these Games. With packed stands, exceptional audience figures across Europe and explosive growth on digital platforms Milan-Cortina 2026 was the most successful edition of the Olympic Games in the history of this sport ».
