The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina kicked off with an opening ceremony that generated both positive reactions and controversy, while the NFL made moves to expand its international presence. The event, which began on Friday, saw Vice President J.D. Vance booed by the crowd, according to Time. Simultaneously, British broadcaster Channel 5, a subsidiary of Paramount, is aiming for a "Super Bowl touch down" in the U.K. following a free-to-air broadcast deal with the NFL last summer, as reported by Variety.
The opening ceremony, described as "painfully long, inevitably uneven, excessively dance-obsessed but also somehow lovable" by Time, included a tribute to the classic Italian cinema film La Dolce Vita. The ceremony's success was a welcome change after a series of challenging previous events, including the 2018 PyeongChang games, the fanless Tokyo 2021 games, and the COVID-impacted Beijing 2022 games, as noted by Time.
The booing of Vice President Vance at the opening ceremony was met with surprise by President Donald Trump, who told reporters on Air Force One, "That's surprising because people like him—He doesn't get booed in this country," according to Time. However, a recent YouGov poll released on February 6 suggested that Vance's unpopularity in Europe might be part of a larger trend.
The NFL's push into the U.K. market, facilitated by Channel 5's broadcast deal, is part of a broader strategy to grow the sport's international audience. Variety reported that the deal aims to capitalize on growing interest in the sport. "Taylor Swift definitely has helped plant the seed," according to Variety.
The convergence of major sporting events in 2026, including the Winter Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, and the Youth Olympic Games, highlights the sports economy's potential. The World Economic Forum projects that the sports economy, currently valued at $2.3 trillion, could reach $8.8 trillion by 2050, according to Time. However, this growth depends on healthy people, stable environments, and resilient communities, which are currently under strain.
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