February 19, 2026
As the Winter Olympics head into its final days, Canadians are enthusiastically tuning in. Most say they are already watching the games, or plan to do so before things wrap up on February 22nd. Interest grows with age, with six in ten older adults already watching, and just four in ten Millennials tuning in so far.
Among the sixteen winter Olympic sports, ice hockey stands out as Canada’s clear favourite. Half of viewers say it’s the most exciting event to watch, driven largely by men (63%), though still attracting nearly a third of women (30%). Figure skating takes a strong second place, especially among women. And while one in ten fans can’t choose a favourite and are excited about all sports, all remaining sports capture a smaller but passionate slice of attention.
When it comes to how Canadians are watching, traditional cable and satellite TV dominate (61%), far outpacing streaming services (37%), long form social media like Facebook Watch or YouTube (20%) or short form social media including TikTok and Instagram reels (15%). Viewing habits shift noticeably by age: younger Canadians lean heavily on social media, while older Canadians are primarily viewing via cable or satellite TV.
Most viewers (65%) are watching a mix of highlights and live coverage, balancing convenience with real-time excitement. Another 15% stick exclusively to live action, while 20% focus solely on highlights.
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between February 12 – 16, 2026 with 1,230 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2021 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution. For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned, research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented.
The questions asked were:
The Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy, are ongoing from February 6 to 22, 2026. Are you watching any of the games?
- Yes, I’m watching the Olympics
- Not yet but I plan to
- No, I don’t plan to watch
- I’m not sure yet
(If watching or planning to) Which platform(s) are you, or will you be using to watch the Olympics?
(If watching or planning to) Are you, or do you plan to watch… event highlights, live coverage, or a mix of both?
(If watching or planning to) Which sport are you most excited to watch (choose one only)?
- Ice Hockey
- Figure Skating
- Snowboard
- Curling
- Ski Jumping
- Speed Skating
- Alpine Skiing
- Freestyle Skiing
- Bobsleigh
- Short Track Speed Skating
- Luge
- Ski Mountaineering (new for 2026)
- Skeleton
- Nordic Combined (a combination of cross-country skiing and ski jumping)
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Biathlon
- I can’t choose, I’m excited about them all
