NBC Sports has released its logo for the 2026 Winter Olympics, a design that continues the trend of using a stylized border element and a distinctive wordmark. The logo's primary visual is a snowflake, created with mirrored elements that suggest a simplified fractal pattern. These elements surround the NBC peacock, the year "2026", the Olympic rings, and the "Milan Cortina" wordmark, which extends beyond the snowflake's boundaries.
The snowflake's shapes and lines are relatively simple, bearing a resemblance to the patterns found on Italian hand-painted tiles and ceramics. The outermost points subtly evoke the Italian fleur-de-lis (giglio bottonato), adding a touch of cultural significance. The muted blue-gray color palette ensures readability and avoids clashing with the vibrant colors of the peacock and rings.
The "Milan Cortina" wordmark uses a distinctive sans-serif typeface, possibly based on Recline from Digitype Studio. This font combines pointed elements, bold angles, and gentler curves with varying stroke widths, creating a sleek and sophisticated aesthetic. NBC modified the "L" and "A" to minimize negative space, and the "R" features a unique, dramatic curve.
A teaser promo showcases an elegant sans-serif font with distinctive curves, reminiscent of the Paris 2024 font but with unique characteristics. The "2026" numerals feature rounded, exaggerated curves and an interesting baseline variation, adding visual interest.
The Milan Cortina logo reflects the design approach of the Paris 2024 logo, both featuring a diamond-like element and a stylized wordmark. Sibling Rivalry, the agency behind the 2024 logo, also designed the 2026 version. Previous NBC Olympic logos, such as the Beijing 2022 logo, used different stylistic approaches, often incorporating geographical elements.
It's crucial to remember that this logo is created by NBC, the U.S. English-language rights holder. Other broadcasters will likely have their own designs. The official 2026 Winter Olympics organizing committee also has its own logo, which will appear in venues.