The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be jointly hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Milan, a city renowned for fashion, design, and creative industries, has become one of the key host locations for this edition of the Games. As winter sports enter the global fashion capital, the event itself carries even greater anticipation and new dimensions of interest.

Shifting the Focus Beyond the Competition

In contemporary mega sporting events, what happens beyond the field of play often draws just as much attention.

When the design elements are particularly striking, social media quickly becomes a space for debates around “sports × fashion.” Some celebrate the fact that sportswear is “finally no longer uniform and predictable,” while others question whether it feels “too much like a runway show,” or whether athletes look as if they are “walking a catwalk.”

Such discussions are not uncommon, especially when design details, tailoring, or overall aesthetics stand out. From a communications perspective, however, this highlights an important point:

The visual expression of sporting events has entered the core of mainstream cultural and aesthetic discourse.

▲ Opening ceremony, ushers, and medal ceremony outfits of the Milano Cortina 2026

Milan has long been active on the international fashion and design stage. Its design language, aesthetic traditions, and brand culture provide natural creative space for the Winter Olympics’ visual identity. Here, sports are not only about competition; they are also deeply connected with design, aesthetics, and lifestyle. This reflects a clear trend:

Sporting events are increasingly becoming comprehensive platforms for cultural and brand expression.

Industry Opportunities Behind the Winter Olympics

If the competition itself represents the “surface” of the Winter Olympics, then the industrial ecosystem driven by the Games represents its deeper and longer-lasting impact.

The sports industry ecosystem formed around the Winter Olympics spans multiple key areas: event planning, sponsorship management, audience experience design; destination management and city-event integration; product innovation, brand collaborations, and distribution channels; event coordination, international communication, and project management.

These fields demand far more than a simple “passion for sports.” They increasingly require business acumen, market analysis skills, brand management expertise, and cross-cultural collaboration capabilities.

Sports, Beyond the Field

In response to such industry demands, the MSc in Sports, Entertainment & Lifestyle at emlyon business school is particularly suited for professionals aspiring to deepen their engagement in the sports and related industries.

The program focuses on marketing, brand strategy, and business models within the sports, entertainment, and lifestyle sectors. It helps students understand the operational logic of mega sporting events, clubs, brands, and content platforms.

With a strong emphasis on industry practice and market orientation, the curriculum covers key topics such as sports marketing, event management, brand partnerships, and consumer behavior. For students driven by their passion for the industry, the program offers a structured set of competencies directly aligned with market needs.

First-hand insights into sports & entertainmentu ↓

When Sports Become Part of Brand Narratives

Large-scale international sporting events are also highly complex brand communication practices. From the overall event identity to sponsors’ communication strategies, from social media content to cross-platform dissemination and audience engagement, branding and communication capabilities permeate every aspect of the event.

The MSc in Branding & Communication at emlyon places these competencies at its core, cultivating students’ systematic abilities in brand strategy, creative communication, and content innovation. Notably, the program includes an international study module in Milan, allowing students to closely observe the interaction between brands, creativity, and urban industries within a real European commercial and cultural environment.

New program | MSc in Branding & Communication ↓

https://em-lyon.com/en/student/master/msc-branding-communication

Sustainability in Sporting Events

In contemporary European public discourse, large-scale sporting events are increasingly discussed within the framework of sustainable development and ESG.

From post-Games venue utilization to the long-term impact of events on urban communities and tourism development, “legacy” has become a crucial dimension in evaluating the value of major events. This trend not only reshapes the sports industry but also raises new challenges for public governance, energy transition, and sustainable management. From this perspective, sporting events are becoming interdisciplinary arenas of practice, offering broader intellectual space for students concerned with sustainability issues.

How to land internship in sustainable fields ↓

The Milan Winter Olympics are not only a grand sporting spectacle, but also a comprehensive showcase of industry, branding, and social responsibility. As sports continue to integrate deeply with business, culture, and sustainability, specialized and internationalized educational pathways are becoming essential starting points for entering this evolving field.