The 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy, will be about more than snow and ice sports.
Like every Olympics, they’ll be an opportunity to showcase the country’s culture. So NBC Universal is bringing on an expert to help explain Italy to an American audience: Italian American actor and noted foodie Stanley Tucci.
Tucci, known for his roles in movies such as “Conclave,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and “The Hunger Games” series, has also hosted shows about Italy’s food, traditions and culture on CNN and the National Geographic channel.
His job during the primetime coverage of the Milan-Cortina Olympics on NBC and Peacock is “to present travelogue-style segments” focused on the sprawling northern regions of Italy playing host to the next Winter Games.
“It’s been my passion to learn about the people of Italy by traversing the country and savoring its food. But this time, I’ll have a guest with me — the world,” Tucci said in a Monday news release, adding he’s looking forward to seeing the impact of the Games.
“What foods will the world fall in love with? What favorites will be uncovered? How will Italy transform with the world as its guest? I’m excited to share it all with the American primetime audience in February,” Tucci said.
The executive producer of NBC Olympics, Molly Solomon, said Tucci was an obvious choice.
“America has an affinity for all things Italian, and with his string of hit shows and bestsellers, Stanley’s now the ‘it’ guy on Italian culture in our country,” Solomon said, praising Tucci’s “mix of cool curiosity and masterful storytelling.”
Tucci won two consecutive Emmy Awards for the CNN series “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” and is the host of National Geographic’s “Tucci in Italy.” He has written several books that made the New York Times bestseller list, including a memoir, “Taste: My Life Through Food.”
He won’t be the first celebrity to help NBC cover an Olympics. Rapper Snoop Dogg was a fixture for the network at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, carrying the Olympic torch, commenting on competitions and even taking swim lessons from Olympic champion Michael Phelps.
Coverage of the 2026 Games by NBC and Peacock begins with the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 6 and continues through Feb. 22. The broadcast network and streaming channel will also cover the Milan-Cortina Paralympics, scheduled for March 6-15.
Comcast NBC Universal will be the U.S. home for the Olympics through the 2036 Summer Games that have yet to be sited. In March, the company announced a deal worth an estimated $3 billion with the International Olympic Committee to extend the company’s U.S. media rights.
Of course, that includes the 2034 Winter Games in Utah. The state’s privately funded Olympic organizing committee is expected to receive a share of the money paid to the IOC to help balance the $4 billion price tag for hosting again.