The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 marked a turning point in the digital transformation of the International Skating Union -ISU-, becoming the highest-performing digital window in the federation’s history. Over a 25-day period — before, during and immediately after the Games — the ISU delivered unprecedented figures in reach, views and engagement, consolidating the strategic shift launched under its Vision 2030 programme.
Rather than a temporary Olympic spike, the digital performance reflected a structured content strategy built around athlete-centred storytelling, short-form video formats and platform-specific narratives. The #ISUShowtime campaign, unveiled ten days before competition began, anchored this approach through a three-phase rollout — Skate to Milano, Showtime and The Show Goes On — guiding audiences through the build-up, competition period and post-Games momentum.
408 million video views and exponential growth compared to Beijing 2022
During the Olympic window, the ISU generated 408 million video views, the strongest 25-day performance in its history. This was accompanied by 16.9 million social engagements and more than 632 million social media impressions. Compared with Beijing 2022, impressions nearly tripled, engagements quadrupled and video views increased 25-fold.
Growth was equally visible across follower numbers, with 402,000 new followers gained during the Olympic period and the symbolic milestone of one million followers reached across Figure Skating platforms on Meta. ISU Director General Colin Smith framed the achievement beyond pure metrics: “These results represent more than just numbers — they reflect attention, relevance and sustained growth. Skating content is now connecting with global audiences at an unprecedented level.” He added that the #ISUShowtime campaign “reflects Vision 2030 in action, placing athletes and their stories at the heart of everything we do.”
A balanced global digital ecosystem
The ISU’s digital strategy is underpinned by a balanced global portfolio. The United States consolidated its position as the leading market across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, while Asia demonstrated 70% greater efficiency than Europe in converting views into new followers. At city level, Mexico City and Bangkok ranked as the top two global hubs for fan engagement.
The federation’s digital ecosystem extended beyond traditional social channels. During the Olympic period, 3.5 million website visits and 1.7 million official App views were recorded, alongside a 46% increase in new App users. Influencers with a combined following of more than 45 million were hosted at the ISU Home of Skating to create tailored content throughout the Games, integrating owned, earned and shared media into a coordinated strategy.
From #ISUShowtime to one million followers
The digital momentum had already become evident in the opening days of competition. Figure Skating platforms surpassed one million combined followers on Meta just hours after Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry led the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance segment. Over the first Olympic weekend alone, the channels generated more than 1.5 million engagements, 40 million video views and 62 million impressions.
ISU Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Jiao Li described the milestone as community-driven: “Reaching one million fans on our Figure Skating Facebook and Instagram channels is truly a milestone created by our fans,” highlighting the role of the global skating community in accelerating growth. At the same time, Speed Skating platforms approached 200,000 combined followers, while three Olympic records were set in the first three competitions on the oval.
The federation frames these results as part of a sustained transformation that will continue into upcoming international events, beginning with the ISU Speed Skating World Championships in Heerenveen from 5 to 8 March 2026. After the global showcase of Milano Cortina 2026, the ISU enters the next phase of its calendar with the largest digital base and broadest global reach in its history.
