The 2026 Paralympic Winter Games are set to kick off on March 6th, with comprehensive coverage planned by ORF, Austria’s national broadcaster.
ORF SPORT + and ORF ON will provide daily live coverage from the competition sites in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, while ORF 1 will broadcast extensive highlights from each day of competition. The Games will officially begin with the Opening Ceremony, broadcast live on ORF SPORT + on Friday, March 6th, at 7:55 PM local time.
Austria’s Paralympic Team will consist of 19 athletes – six women and 13 men – competing in four of the six sports featured at the Games: Para-Alpine Skiing (15 athletes), Para Cross-Country Skiing and Para Biathlon (1 athlete) and Para Snowboard (3 athletes). The Austrian team will not participate in Wheelchair Curling or Para Ice Hockey.
Broadcast Schedule on ORF SPORT + and ORF 1, and ORF ON:
Friday, March 6
- 7:55 PM, OSP: Live Opening Ceremony from the Arena di Verona
Saturday, March 7
- 9:25 AM, OSP: Live Downhill (Women & Men)
- 12:35 PM, OSP: Live Biathlon Sprint 7.5 km Standing (Women & Men)
- 3:15 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 1 / Opening Ceremony
Sunday, March 8
- 10:55 AM, OSP: Live Snowboardcross (Women & Men)
- 12:25 PM, ORF ON: Live Biathlon Sprint 12.5 km Standing (Women & Men)
- 5:40 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 2
Monday, March 9
- 9:25 AM, OSP: Live Super-G (Women & Men)
- 3:20 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 3
Tuesday, March 10
- 8:55 AM, OSP: Live Alpine Combined Super-G (Women & Men)
- 12:35 PM, OSP: Live Cross-Country Skiing Sprint Classic Semifinal (Women & Men)
- 12:55 PM, OSP: Live Alpine Combined Slalom (Women & Men)
- 1:30 PM, ORF ON: Live Cross-Country Skiing Sprint Classic Final (Women & Men)
- 3:20 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 4
Wednesday, March 11
- 11:00 AM, OSP: Live Cross-Country Skiing 10 km Freestyle Standing (Women & Men)
- 3:20 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 5
Thursday, March 12
- 8:55 AM, OSP: Live Giant Slalom Women – Run 1
- 12:25 PM, OSP: Live Giant Slalom Women – Run 2
- 2:50 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 6
Friday, March 13
- 8:55 AM, OSP: Live Giant Slalom Men – Run 1
- 12:25 PM, OSP: Live Giant Slalom Men – Run 2
- 1:05 PM, ORF ON: Live Biathlon Sprint Pursuit (Women & Men)
- 12:30 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 7
Saturday, March 14
- 8:55 AM, OSP: Live Slalom Women – Run 1
- 9:20 AM, ORF 1: Highlights
- 9:55 AM, ORF ON: Live Snowboard Banked Slalom – Run 1
- 11:45 AM, OSP: Live Snowboard Banked Slalom – Run 2
- 12:55 PM, ORF ON: Live Slalom Women – Run 2 (live in OSP at 1:15 PM)
- 6:30 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 8
Sunday, March 15
- 8:55 AM, OSP: Live Slalom Men – Run 1
- 10:25 AM, ORF ON: Live Cross-Country Skiing 20 km Classic Standing (Women & Men) (live in OSP at 10:40 AM)
- 11:55 AM, ORF ON: Live Slalom Men – Run 2 (live in OSP at 12:30 PM)
- 2:15 PM, ORF 1: Highlights – Day 9
- 8:15 PM, OSP: Live Closing Ceremony from the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium
Sunday, March 29
- 2:00 PM; ORF 1: Highlights
Johannes Karner and Lukas Osztovics will provide commentary, with Michael Tiroch serving as the host.
ORF Provides Comprehensive Accessibility for Paralympic Coverage
ORF 1 and ORF SPORT + will offer comprehensive accessibility for the most essential sporting event for people with physical disabilities through audio commentary and subtitles. Audio description will likewise be available for various live events, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. An acoustic image description is available for the blind and visually impaired audience, accessible via the second audio channel on the remote control or through ORF ON. Live subtitles are available for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers on page 777 of ORF TELETEXT and on ORF ON.
Paralympics Also Featured on ORF 2 and ORF KIDS
ORF 2 is emphasizing inclusion with Para-athlete Nico Langmann in its morning programming. Austrian wheelchair tennis player and three-time Paralympian Nico Langmann will appear as a lead exerciser in “Fit mit den Stars” from March 9th to 13th at 9:10 AM.
ORF KIDS will coincide with the start of the Paralympic Winter Games on March 6th with the series “Nicht zu stoppen – Der Traum von den Paralympics,” a documentary series about young athletes pursuing their careers. Featured athletes include Veronika Aigner, who aims to defend her two gold medals from 2022 in Milan and Cortina.
Paralympics Online
With streams of ORF’s TV coverage, stories, and standings, sport.ORF.at and ORF ON (including a video collection) offer a comprehensive multimedia package for the Paralympics, with a particular focus on the Austrian team. ORF Sport and ORF TELETEXT’s social media offerings will also provide ongoing updates on the events.
