Fwd: Apple Podcasts launches new video experience

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Podnews with Riverside <updates@podnews.net>

It's available today ·

4.9 mins to read · 33,186 subscribers · issue #2303 Subscribe free · Support us · View and share online

Video podcasts are taking off, especially on platforms like Apple Podcasts. With Riverside, record in 4K, edit with AI, and host your show — all in one place. Upgrade your podcast to video and create your best content yet. Start for free.

Your daily briefing for podcasting and on-demand

Image: Igor Omilaev

Apple launched iOS 26.4, and with it, access to the new video experience within Apple Podcasts. Apple also confirmed additional podcast hosting companies will support HLS video: Podspace, Riverside, Ausha, and Firstory have been added to the list (see our story for the full set). Your iPhone will offer an update within the next few weeks; but you can update it today by following Apple's instructions. One of the podcast hosting companies supporting it, Transistor, has posted a guide; in a video, Stephen Robles shows the iOS experience. The absence of support from Spotify/Megaphone at launch may mean that many users won't see the shows they're expecting in video within the app (including shows like Joe Rogan and The Ringer titles); Apple says more content will roll out throughout the year. John Spurlock reports just 48 shows available in video at launch; the majority with Acast. The availability of video podcasts isn't promoted within the iOS update overview, though it is promoted when a user opens the Apple Podcasts app for the first time after upgrading. The Apple Podcasts web app (which also works on Android) has been updated to offer full video support; but the Apple Podcasts macOS app doesn't support HLS video. In the most glaring omission, the Apple TV doesn't support HLS video podcasting either. In a piece written in December 2024, Eric Johnson reminds us that video comes with trade-offs. About a quarter of Americans claim that they have never consumed a podcast. Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster today shares The Last Quarter, examining the people who haven't, yet, tried a podcast - and whether we can still reach them. Nearly 6 in 10 of them are using ad-supported premium video streaming, we learn; and 57% of them are using YouTube. Classifieds - your job or ad here 🎧 ➡️ 💰Podcast Content To Clients Workshop — If you want to use your podcast to attract new clients and grow your online business this Podcasting Business School workshop is for you! Join us for this 4-day virtual workshop April 21st-24th. Audiencelift: Grow on Major Podcast Platforms Now — 📈Ready to grow? Audiencelift helps podcasters reach real audiences and increase downloads across Major Podcast Platforms. Launch your first campaign with Audiencelift Today! iOS podcast app Castamatic has unveiled transcripts and chapters for all podcasts. It uses Apple's on-device AI to create them, if not already present. Brand suitability company Barometer and podcast adtech company AdsWizz have announced an integration to help advertisers understand the context of podcasts on an episode-by-episode basis. Magellan AI has launched broadcast radio attribution for advertisers. Recent data from Edison Research at SSRS suggests that radio is listened-to more than 3x as long as podcasts in the US. iHeartMedia has renewed its agreement with Las Culturistas, hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. People News DAX US has named John Sardelis as SVP of Podcasts. He joins from Barometer, BBC Studios and Warner Bros Discovery. "John will now oversee DAX's podcast sales efforts and support the company's continued growth in the digital audio marketplace." John Brooks has joined Slumber Studios as Head of Content. He was previously Head of Content at Realm. Tips and tricks - with Riverside Video podcasts are taking off, especially on platforms like Apple Podcasts. With Riverside, record in 4K, edit with AI, and host your show — all in one place. Upgrade your podcast to video and create your best content yet. Start for free. Double-ender recording - where you record your side and your guest records their side - is a good technique for making a show (and as a back-up in case your online tool fails). Stephen Robles explains how it works. You've probably got lots of audio and video files from the podcast episodes you've made: but how should you store them? Podcast News - with Airwave Airwave offers the most ways to monetize your podcast. From bespoke and programmatic ad sales to paid subscriptions, live events, books, travel tours, and beyond, Airwave is where creators earn more. With Airwave: The Box of Oddities ▸ delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries, and from paranormal phenomena to strange cultural practices from around the world. In the Weekly Crime Brief Podcast ▸ this week, former law enforcement investigator Steve Cook brings the latest crime news from Australia, in under 10 minutes. Weekly Crime Brief also shines a light on an unsolved Aussie case each week to raise awareness. Weekly Crime Brief is perfect for those who love true crime but not the doom scrolling! Leap Forward ▸ tells stories about founders of companies you might know, and the people who believed in them before anyone else, like their early boss, first investor, college roommate, or even a parent. The show contains the story of how companies actually get built, and why it rarely looks the way you might expect. Today, check out interviews with Y Combinator founder Jessica Livingston and her husband, Paul Graham; plus, Mercury CEO Immad Akhund and his mother, Tahseen Akhund. Funny You Ask with Ike Barinholtz ▸ is a weekly comedy-trivia show with some of Ike's funniest friends with random, odd, and "wait… why do you know that?" obsessions with the world. Soup? Sure, why not. The Mets? Duh. Roman Empire? You got it, Caesar. It's part conversation, part pop quiz, and full of knowledge you didn't know you needed—until now. The score doesn't matter, the laughs are endless, and learning something has never been this fun. UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton ▸ is a new podcast that investigates the people, money and power behind America's anti-LGBTQ ecosystem. From highlighting the voices of people fighting back against systems of injustice to covering breaking news current to the moment, Uncloseted's reporting provides you with rigorous, objective LGBTQ reporting to better understand the world we live in. STAN ▸ explores obsessive celebrity worship, parasocial relationships and digital intimacy. Each episode centres on a cultural icon or phenomenon - ranging from The Hunger Games, 2010s YouTubers and (of course) Taylor Swift - to unpack how the media we consumed, particularly during our formative years, shaped our desires, ideals, and sense of self. New this week, The Polycrisis podcast ▸ tells the story of the new phase of the energy transition – where countries are taking control of their energy security. This first season - Electric World Order - explores how geopolitics is driving a quiet revolution in clean tech, and how the energy transition is in turn reshaping world power. Find more podcasts, and add your show Podcasts in the wild At Radiodays Europe in Rīga, Latvia - "podcast pingpong". The sport is described as a "fast-paced mix of speed-dating and ping pong with a podcasting slant", a five-minute game of pingpong while asking rapid-fire questions of your opponent. At least one competitive podcaster was seen making allegations about a substandard table surface. Podcast data  #1 in Apple Podcasts (US) 1 (→) The Daily charts  #1 in Spotify (US) 1 (→) The Joe Rogan Experience charts  Biggest Gain: #5 Non-Profit (Canada) 5 (↑195) Making a Ruckus charts  Highest New Entry: #1 Running (Canada) 1 (☆) Probably Fine charts  #1 Christianity (UK) 1 (→) The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) charts  #1 News (Australia) 1 (→) The Karl Stefanovic Show charts Events How to Read Your Podcast Analytics (RSS.com, Apple & Spotify Explained) · Mar 25 · Virtual · free How to Know if Your Podcast is Working (Is it supporting your business yet?) · Mar 26 · Virtual · free Speed Networking with Podcasters, Speakers, and Authors · Mar 26 · Virtual · free See 46 upcoming events and add yours, free Latest jobs NEW: Producer, Somethin' Else / Sony Music Entertainment - London, UK NEW: Podcast Audience Development Executive, The Podcast Guys Ltd. - Oxted Surrey, UK Writer, Weinberger Media - New York, USA Marketing Intern (Full Remote) — Psów (Poland), psów.pl - Remote, working with a Poland-based team See 23 more jobs and add yours, free

Gold supporters Silver supporters Our personal supporters: Eric Montgomery, Amy Woods, Armel, Don MacKinnon, Jeremy Enns from Podcast Marketing Academy, Oludotun Oyebolu, Lindsay Graham, Gene Monterastelli, Owen Grover, Neil Mody, tony@virtualcouch.xyz, David Lloyd, Steven Goldstein, Matt Wade, Mirko Lagonegro, Kara Silverman, Liz Covart, Justin Jackson, Søren Hugger Møller, Michael Dell, Eric Nuzum, Benjamin Masse, Brett Johnson, Steve Stewart, Jaz Garewal, Pete Morgan, Stew Redwine, Meggan Ellingboe, Alicia Mackey Huber, Rekha Murthy, Jody Avirgan, Mohammad Ali, Joe Stone, ShEvo (Sheila Dee & Evo Terra), Stephanie Arakelian, Kerry Donahue, Tony Garcia, Courtney Reimer, Joanne Phillips, Suzanne Schultz, Graeme Klass, Dave Beasing, Jeremy McCarter, EarBuds Podcast Collective, Andy Bowers, Mary Dooe, Paul Vogelzang, Vanessa Harris, Charles Spivey, Michael Reznick, Niall Mackay, Stephanie Fuccio, Amaeya Media, Stephen Pickens, Michael Paretzky, Ken Beyer, Joe Tannorella, Doug Downs, Sam Phelps, Jeremie Mani (Podcasthon.org), Jennifer Henczel, Stefano Mangone, Bubbe Ann Schockett, Larry Rosin, Andi, Gavin Gaddis, Dave Campbell, Darius Derakshan, TWRS, Cindy Howes, Stephen Devincenzi, Anastasia Violet Lipske, Gee Padilla, elias strand, Danny Brown, Neal Veglio, Ben Robins, Bjørn Vestergaard | Amp 99 Podcast Marketing, Norma Belenky, Matt Kellogg, UChicago Digital, Xavier Guillemane, Andrew Kuklewicz, Dane C, Eric Johnson, The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast, Screen Queens Podcast, Phil Tower, Alison Innes, Buzz Knight, Aldreama, Angela Zomaya, Colin Smith, Lindsay Bowen, Jen Hardy Our supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today.

Sent this by someone else? Subscribe, free

© 2026 Podnews LLC, c/o 220 Las Colinas Blvd E Ste C210, Irving TX 75039-5500 USA ·

City budget editorial

Editorial: O'Connor must pare back Pittsburgh government to fix Gainey's mess

 

 

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Submit a letter to the editor

letters@post-gazette.com

 

MAR 15, 2026

 

4:00 AM

The City of Pittsburgh's financial situation is bleaker than was previously known, Mayor Corey O'Connor explained at a press conference on Thursday, during which he announced his intention to "reopen" the 2026 budget to ensure it reflects the city's true financial condition. While he was unwilling to concede that serious cuts to city spending are necessary, he will eventually be forced by financial reality to do so.

While the city is burdened by structural financial difficulties, Thursday's announcement was less about that and more about the discovery of new forms of financial mismanagement and malfeasance committed by the Gainey administration. O'Connor was careful not to mention his predecessor, and declined multiple invitations offered by reporters to accuse Ed Gainey of deceiving City Council and the public — and of leaving O'Connor "holding the bag."

But that is clearly what happened, and what was implied by pointedly calling the press conference a "transparent and honest update on the City's financial position."

How we got here, though, is less germane than what must be done now. O'Connor's press conference was highly detailed about the nature of the problem, but less so about the the solution. The truth is that everything but core city services must be considered for the chopping block.

Road to ruin

Here are the key numbers revealed on Thursday. The 2025 budget, as passed at the end of 2024, was supposed to have a $3 million surplus. It ended up, with final audits still pending, at a $8.6 million deficit. This was caused in large part, as the Post-Gazette Editorial Board argued strenuously last year, by knowingly underbudgeting for city worker overtime, especially in public safety.

But it turns out — and this was only hinted at by O'Connor — that the deficit should have beenmuch higher. That's because the Gainey administration put off some required expenditures, including paying major invoices, until the new year. That is, until O'Connor took office.

For instance, at the end of the presser, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Rea Price described nearly $2 million in legal and fleet maintenance invoices that had been left unpaid, keeping them off the 2025 books. It is also our understanding that the $9 million in "City healthcare contributions" in the O'Connor administration's list of "underfunded items" refers to unpaid bills for employee health services, which the city pays because it is self-insured.

Other tricks deployed to downplay the city's financial distress include using Parks Trust Fund monies to fund everyday operations as opposed to long-term upgrades, as we have previously criticized, as well as underfunding some city-worker retirement obligations.

Altogether, this means that the 2025 budget deficit had been kept artificially low. Many of those bills are now due, meaning that the 2026 budget is also out of whack, as is the entire five-year financial forecast.

The O'Connor administration estimates that the current budget understates city obligations by more than $40 million over the next five years. And this is the budget that was fixed by City Council, including a 20% tax hike. Without that infusion of revenue, at the first proposed trajectory the city's reserves would have been completely drained by 2030.

Limited options

This problem is easier to describe than to fix. We were encouraged that O'Connor identified growing the city's economy and population as a key part of the solution, but that is a long-term goal, not a short-term fix. O'Connor also stated that the city "is not currently considering new taxes, layoffs or cuts to critical city services." 

The mayor is right to rule out new taxes: The city got a 20% boost in December, and can't go back to the property tax well for at least several years. O'Connor's team should investigate other revenue generation options, but state law severely restricts cities' tax-levying powers.

Layoffs are more complicated. Termination of existing employees is governed in many cases by union contracts, one of whose main purposes is to make it difficult to ditch workers. These rules also make it difficult to make decisions based on merit rather than, for instance, seniority. This means layoffs are time-consuming, potentially expensive and risky, in that they can result in real losses to productivity and efficiency.

What O'Connor can do much more easily is eliminate budgeted positions that have remained unfilled, with minimal or no bad effects for city services. This is somewhat fake, in that the city isn't saving money, but it is streamlining its budget to better reflect reality.

As for "critical city services," the word "critical" is doing a lot of work. Clearly, while the financial situation is dangerous, actually gutting core services is neither necessary nor prudent. The question is: What counts, and what doesn't, as a "critical city service"?

Common core

This is where the hard decisions must be made. The truth is that during the optimistic years after emerging from Act 47 state oversight, followed by the influx of federal pandemic relief funds, the city took on several non-core responsibilities. A good example was spending $3 million in federal money on a "Food Justice Fund" while ambulances were breaking down.

These attempts to intervene in the broader social fabric of the city are well-intentioned, and may be valuable — but they are not "critical." As the O'Connor administration looks for areas to cut back, the low-hanging fruit should be the newly minted trust funds that drain city resources for unclear benefits.

The Housing Opportunity Fund and the Stop the Violence Fund each consume $10 million a year, though the latter is only getting $5 million this year, due to the budget crunch. The social goods these funds aim at are worthwhile, but affordable housing and violence prevention can also be achieved by other means.

We'd love to see the O'Connor administration look for creative ways to make a difference in these areas, such as private-sector and philanthropic partnerships, without draining $20 million from the city's coffers each year.

With better management in previous years, these funds might have been sustainable. But now the bills have to be paid.

First Published: March 15, 2026, 4:00 a.m.

--
Ta.
 
 
Mark Rauterkus       Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com

Podcast:    =:| Heavy Or Not <;) - The OG Swim Guide

Mark@Rauterkus.com    <--- causing lots of missed messages, sadly.

Webmaster, International Swim Coaches Association, SwimISCA.org

and other sites: SKWIM.us, U CAN Swim

Coach at The Ellis School for Varsity & Middle School Swimming

412 298 3432 = cell

New course: Mental Skills for Young Athletes

Building a Winning Team Culture: Lessons from Elite International Coach, Harkai Hunor

Pillars of Team Success: Consistency, Trust, Adaptability, and Coach Leadership

Episode #94 of Heavy or Not, we hear from elite coach Harkai Hunor’s playbook for building a winning team culture. Learn the concrete steps you can apply to any sport or organization today.

What you’ll learn:

• The seven non‑negotiable pillars of on‑court discipline and consistency.

• Why off‑court community building is as crucial as X’s and O’s.

• Quick‑win tactics for gaining player trust and boosting performance.

• How to adapt coaching philosophy to players, leagues, and local culture.

• The coach’s ultimate role: embodying the culture and earning respect through character.

The difference between a good team and a great team has almost nothing to do with drills or tactics!

In a WAFSU.org seminar, international coach Harkai Hunor explains why the real work of coaching happens off the court—through consistency, culture, mentorship, and the small psychological moves that help athletes believe in themselves. Drawing on experience coaching in eight different countries, he shares practical lessons about building team culture, developing players, motivating teams, and avoiding the biggest mistakes young coaches make.

If you coach athletes, or plan to, this talk is packed with ideas you can apply immediately.

Watch the full seminar at either:

• https://wafsu.org/course/building-team-culture-lessons-from-a-coach-across-eight-countries/

or on Substack at:

Heavy Or Not - The OG Swim Guide

Building Team Culture: Lessons from a Coach Across Eight Countries

Read more

4 days ago · 2 likes · 1 comment · Mark Rauterkus

Download the PDF Transcript:

• https://wafsu.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/build-team-culture-transcript.mp3.pdf

Check out this episode!

Join the Lifeguard Movement: Protect Communities, Oceans, Lakes, Rivers and Swim Pools

Lifeguard Recruiting Campaign: Serve, Train, and Inspire While Safeguarding Water Activities Nationwide

Check out the lifeguard recruiting film and the behind‑the‑scenes work that keeps our waters safe, and a bonus fortune insight.

We also share a visual preview of the ISCA Senior Cup teams.

This episode, #93, is very visual.

Those with an audio only feed are missing out on the graphics of the short film and the logos of the teams.

• What it really takes to be a lifeguard – training, skills, and purpose

• How to apply through your local lifeguard agency (USLA & Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Fund)

• Watch the full video on YouTube at https://YouTube.com/@ucanswim

• Fortune segment: “Don’t expend energy trying to be someone you’re not” and its link to Mental Skills for Young Athletes, https://swimisca.com

• Sneak peek of the ISCA Senior Cup 2026 team logos (to gather in St. Petersburg, FL)

Check out this episode!

Saudi and LIV investments

https://frontofficesports.com/newsletter/saudis-6-billion-liv-golf-investment/

Water: Drowning Prevention Strategies: Community Action, Grants, and Lifesaving Swim Programs

Education, Safety Barriers, and Collaborative Funding Initiatives

From Grants to Lifeguards: Building a Safer Water Environment for All Ages

Reducing Drowning Risks: Parents, Schools, and Policy Working Together for Water Safety

In episode #92, we break down the stark reality of drowning worldwide and explore practical steps to keep kids and communities safe around water. We also discuss emerging grant opportunities in Florida and how local leaders can turn them into sustainable swimming programs.

Listen in as Barry and Mark aim to make an impact around the water.

• Eye‑opening drowning statistics and the WHO’s top recommendations for prevention.

• Why barriers, constant supervision, and basic survival swimming are essential for children of all ages.

• How Florida’s new grant program aims to get every child in the state to learn to swim and what it means for local clubs.

• Strategies for building multi‑stakeholder coalitions—councils, First Nations, schools, and sponsors—to fund and manage community pools.

• Tips for linking high‑school pools to instructor training, revenue generation, and sponsor outreach to create lasting impact.

Join the club as we aim for harnessing Community Support to Fund Swim Lessons and Prevent Water‑Related Tragedies

• Water saves lives, but it can also silently kill – 23,000 drownings a year in the WHO European Region, 63 per day.

• Prevention starts with barriers and constant supervision for children; a moment’s lapse can be fatal.

• Teaching basic survival swimming to all ages builds confidence, not Olympic ambition, and saves lives.

• Lifeguard and bystander rescue training must prioritize personal safety; one rescue shouldn’t become two victims.

• Coordinated community plans—schools, councils, First Nations, sponsors—turn grants and facilities into lasting drowning‑prevention programs.

Check out this episode!

Urgency, Authority, Call to Action w Marshall & Hall of Fame

Last Splash and Exit of Women Swim and Dive Team at Marshall University, episode #91

Open, Closing, Exit and Calls to Action for WPIAL Swimmers, Broadcasters and the ISCA Hall of Fame Tribute

They CUT Women’s Swimming and Diving at Marshall University just as the team was departing for its conference meet. Ugh squared.

Nobody is explaining the Title IX confusion.

In this episode, I break down what’s really happening, how you can take action, and why this affects every program in the country.

Swim Community: Your urgent steps are necessary on various fronts.

If you care about swimming, broadcasting, or protecting women’s sports, you cannot skip this episode. I’m unboxing a new book Mental Skills for Young Athletes, calling out a blundering hurd issue, seeking bio insights for WPIAL athletes and asking YOU to help shape the future Hall of Fame Tribute for the class of 2026.

Pointer:

Jackie Johnson, a voice for women's sports at Facebook reels at https://www.facebook.com/jackie.johnston.5220.

https://SwimISCA.com for the book, Mental Skills for Young Athletes

WPIAL Show Insights at https://ISCA.blue

Upload for Hall of Fame Tributes to https://UCANSwim.WeTransfer.com

 

Broken Hurd.

Kate Lundsten

Matt Kredich

Ray Looze

Check out this episode!

Fwd: Olympic Ratings Gold for NBC

Huge viewership and viral moments marked the 2026 Winter Olympics. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read in Browser Sunday Edition February 22, 2026 POWERED BY The 2026 Winter Olympics close Sunday after a busy—and slightly scandalous—19 days of events. The final big draw is the men's ice hockey gold-medal game, where the U.S. and Canada will face off in front of millions of viewers. Milan Cortina delivered for both fans and NBC, and its success tees up a potentially huge 2028 Summer Games in L.A. —Eric Fisher and Meredith Turits Olympics Wrap Up The U.S. took gold against Canada in women's hockey, a rivalry that played out with a dramatic overtime game. Read the story. Ski mountaineering, a new Olympic event, charmed audiences with the help of its TikTok hype man. Read the story. The IOC was aggressive in taking down content on YouTube and social media platforms during the games with a monitoring system. Read the story. Snoop Dogg was everywhere, and his alt-cast during Team USA's men's hockey quarterfinal matchup against Sweden joined a growing broadcast trend. Read the story. NBC Finds Olympic Gold In Italy Amber Searls-Imagn Images NBC and parent company Comcast had high hopes—and an aggressive strategy—for more than a year regarding the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Combined with its coverage of Super Bowl LX and the NBA All-Star Game, the network developed a "Legendary February" initiative designed to reach all sorts of new ground on viewership, ad sales, and production. As we hit the closing ceremony, mission accomplished. Viewership is up 90% so far. Final results wil likely get a further boost with a favorable time-zone difference from the U.S., a refined programming strategy, and Nielsen measurement enhancements. Team USA has been a competitive force, helping drive those audiences and a sense of national pride as it has challenged all-time medal performances in a Winter Olympics. Well-received elements such as drone cameras have pushed the Olympics coverage beyond prior expectations. The lead-in was also a major force in pushing the NBA All-Star Game to its own huge audience increase. There's no guarantee that the 2028 Summer Olympics in L.A. will pay similar dividends. But the same components that have made the Milan Cortina Games so successful will be in place—plus a home-country advantage, and an even more favorable time zone for U.S. viewers. The full measure of what the 2026 Winter Games have meant to NBC will become even clearer when the last wave of audience results arrive, and again when Comcast reports its first-quarter earnings in April. The details will certainly matter, but the overriding theme is unquestionable: The Winter Olympics have been a massive hit. SPONSORED BY TOYOTA Greatness Moves Us Toyota backs the journeys that shape athletes every day. From early-morning practices to road games and the long rides home, Toyota's partnership with Team Toyota celebrates the dedication and belief that drive progress over time. By supporting athletes like Erin Jackson, Jessie Diggins, and Andrew Kurka, Toyota highlights the commitment, momentum, and resilience required to compete at the highest levels—on and off the field of play. Because every destination has a beginning. Curling Clubs Are Swept Up in Olympics Fever. Can It Last? Eric Bolte-Imagn Images For about three weeks every four years, thousands of people become armchair experts in a sport they forget about thereafter. Curling is the only event played all 19 days of the Winter Olympics. Viewers notice. In Milan, unprecedented Team USA success and a viral cheating scandal helped boost the U.S. profile of the sport that's somehow both bewildering and bewitching.  "When the Olympics comes around, the awareness of the sport just explodes again," says Rich Collier, president of Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, Mass. Broomstones is the home club of curler Korey Dropkin, who won silver in the mixed-doubles event with Cory Thiesse. "If you asked 100 people on the street what they are watching in the Olympics, 90 of them would say they're watching curling." The Olympic boost is also very real for the roughly 200 curling clubs across the country.  At Granite Curling Club of Seattle, last December's wait list had six people on it. As of mid-February this year, 500 people are hoping to get into Learn2Curl at Washington's only dedicated curling facility. "We have a lot of faces at the club that are four to five years into curling, and they started because they saw it on the Olympics," says Shannon Brown, a trustee on Granite's board. Team USA curlers Ben Richardson and Luc Violette grew up practicing at the facility. Since the games in Milan began, demand at Granite has also spiked 40% for its 90-minute corporate events ($550 per eight people plus an instructor). The club is clawing to get additional dates on the calendar to open more time on its five ice sheets for both its introductory and group events. Each Winter Olympics propels a measurable four-year cycle, both Broomstones and Granite tell Front Office Sports. The lift can be significant, but following each closing ceremony, the sport sees interest and participation drop off—sometimes quickly. "It's a relatively short-duration bump," Collier says. "It does seem to trickle off within about a month or two after that as spring rolls around." Some curlers stay longer, though. Brown says some members who join during Olympic spikes continue with the club for a season or two, while "others catch the bug and become lifelong curlers." For however long they last, these bumps are meaningful revenue lifts for the clubs. But like many public curling organizations across the country, both Granite and Broomstones are nonprofits. Still, the cash infusion is essential to their sustainability. No Stone Unturned While many clubs are enjoying a temporary boost, The Curling Group (TCG) is trying to catch Olympic lightning in a bottle. The Toronto-based group's portfolio includes the Grand Slam of Curling event series and its global media rights, which it purchased from Rogers Communications in 2024, as well as streaming curling platform Rock Channel. In April, TCG will launch the mixed-gender Rock League, the first global professional league for the sport.  TCG is now gunning for $25 million from emerging league- and sport-focused investment groups in a Series A raise—an announcement timed during the Olympic fever, CEO Nic Sulsky tells FOS. The funding push follows an $11.3 million seed round completed in 2025, which counted NFL players George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson, and Hall of Famer Jared Allen as investors, as well as former NFL COO Maryann Turcke, who is also the executive chair of the TCG board. Sulsky says its "unbelievably massive priority" is the U.S. market, where it has seen the most online engagement in curling from the 2026 Winter Games. He believes the U.S. offers the biggest sponsor and brand investment opportunities.  He thinks the Milan moment will be stickier not only because of Team USA's success, but also because athletes are seizing the Olympic window to gain traction on social media. He believes the visibility and overall platform of the sport is different this time with the 2026 Winter Games, and the response is "validating."  "It's been an incredible moment for curling, and I think the world is starting to realize the potential that the roaring game has on the ice and off the ice," Sulsky says. (He adds he is "not a curler" himself, but an entrepreneur whose background is in sports gambling and fantasy sports.) Yet Collier says even as the sport climbs in popularity, its growth is stuck between a rock and a hard place. The number of facilities is limited and relatively small; Broomstones, with four ice sheets and about 450 members, is one of the five largest clubs on the East Coast. Entirely volunteer-run, it has been at capacity for several years and has a 400-person waiting list.  "We're a little bit of a double-edged sword in that the sport has become so popular, but now it's supply and demand," he says. "One of the things that we struggle with is sort of this chicken-or-egg problem. You need the demand to try to maybe fund a new club or build a new facility that would cost upwards of $2 million per sheet." However they get into it—and for however long—Collier and Brown just want people to try the sport they love. "Curling," Brown says, "is really a hidden gem." 3 Scandals and Surprises in Milan Cortina Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics have been full of moments of impressive athletic achievements, but they've also featured a number of scandals and a few surprises.  Golden credit card fraud: French biathlete Julia Simon, who was convicted of credit card fraud, won gold medals in the women's 15-km biathlon and mixed relay. Simon spent more than $2,300 on her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet's credit card, which earned her a $34,600 fine and a three-month suspended jail term. The biathlete previously faced accusations in 2021 of credit card fraud from the team physiotherapist. Simon initially denied the crime and claimed she was a victim of identity theft before confessing in court in October. Cheating curlers: Both the men's and women's Canadian curling teams have been accused of double-touching the stone, a form of cheating. In the men's match on Feb. 13, Team Sweden's Oskar Eriksson got into a verbal disagreement with Canadian third Marc Kennedy; Eriksson said they had video proof of Canada wrongly delivering the rock. Despite Eriksson's accusations, the Canadian team was not penalized and won the match 8–6. The women's match on Feb. 14 was a different story, with Rachel Homan being called for a rules violation for touching the stone in Canada's 8–7 loss to Switzerland. Trying to win her back: On Feb. 10, Sturla Holm Lægreid won the bronze medal in the 20-km individual biathlon race, but he made headlines for a different reason. "Three months ago, I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her," Lægreid said about his ex-girlfriend after winning bronze. He later described his former partner as "the gold medal in life" and said that not having her supporting him in Milan made it the worst week of his life. The Norwegian's confession went extremely viral and drew the attention of his ex-girlfriend, who told VG he is "hard to forgive, even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world." That's just a few of them. FOS's Griffin Senyek rounded them up: Read the rest. Events Video Games Shop Written by Eric Fisher, Meredith Turits Edited by Katie Krzaczek, Catherine Chen If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here. Update your preferences / Unsubscribe Copyright © 2026 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved. 460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016