Gamestime Intelligence from Onboard Sports Advisory
With Onboard Sports Advisory on the ground in Italy and colleagues across our global offices supporting in real time, OBE is closely tracking the most important, dynamic, and conversation-shaping stories emerging from the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
TOP HEADLINES
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2026-olympics-closing-ceremony-milano-cortina/ (CBS News, 2/22)
USA wins Olympic gold in thrilling men’s hockey final against Canada (NYT, 2/22)
Ukraine protests renewed Paralympics participation by Russia, Belarus (The Washington Post, 2/20)
As lights go out on Milano Cortina, IOC bets on LA28 to reboot Olympic business model (Reuters, 2/20)
BUSINESS, MARKETING & SPONSORSHIP
NHL’s Olympics Return Brings New Marketing, Highlights Rights (Sportico, 2/19)
Milan Cortina’s Spread-Out Games Signal a New Era for Global Sports (Sportico, 2/16)
FANS, CONTENT & MEDIA
California Dreamin’: NBC Kicks Off 2028 L.A. Olympics Marketing Campaign With Kate Hudson (The Hollywood Reporter, 2/22)
Husbands and boyfriends step into the Olympic Spotlight (NYT, 2/20)
For Olympic athletes and collectors, pin trading has become a sport of its own (NYT, 2/20)
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
Klaebo becomes 1st athlete to win 6 golds at Winter Games (ESPN, 2/21)
Eileen Gu defends halfpipe gold, leaves Milan Cortina with 3 medals (NBCOlympics, 2/22)
Johnny Gaudreau got perfect tribute after USA hockey wins gold (USA Today, 2/22)
FUTURE OF THE MOVEMENT
Pau Gasol elected to represent athletes on IOC executive board through LA28 (SBJ, 2/20)
See the venues for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (NBC Los Angeles, 2/22)
Squash to make its debut at 2028 Summer Olympics in LA (NBC Boston, 2/21)
OSA Gametime Observations
In one of the most dramatic gold medal victories in recent Team USA Olympic history, there was a moment that rose above the scoreboard and celebration of the U.S. men’s hockey team's 2–1 overtime win against Canada. Amidst the joy surrounding what may have been the greatest athletic achievement of their lives, several members of the U.S. team chose to place humanity ahead of themselves, reminding the world why the Olympic Games still matter.
Players of Team United States pose for photographs during the medal ceremony following the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)
By honoring the life of Johnny Gaudreau, a competitor and longtime star with USA Hockey who, along with his brother, tragically died in August 2024, the players demonstrated that the most powerful messages of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are often not found in goals scored or medals won. By bringing Gaudreau’s jersey—and more movingly, his two young children—into their post-game celebration, they embodied the values at the heart of Olympism: friendship, respect, and empathy.
At a time when our nation and our world feel deeply divided, this simple yet profound act was a powerful reminder of why the Olympic and Paralympic Games remain the world’s greatest peaceful gathering. As we look ahead to LA28, the lesson we witnessed today—not just as marketers, but as human beings—is that unity, compassion, and the betterment of others matter now more than ever. And there remains no stage quite like the Olympic Games to carry that truth to every corner of the globe. As your plans for LA28 kick into high gear, make certain that the human element of your brand narrative shines through—the world will be looking for it.
Header Image Source: Getty Images