Breaking Down the Winter Olympics Ecosystem (and where opportunities lie)
A deep exploration of the tech, data, and how to sell to NGBs, IOC, and the platformization of sports.
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The Winter Olympics Ecosystem
If you’re like me…
You likely think of the Winter Olympics as two weeks of competition, national pride, and sports you watch once every four years.
What we don’t see is the fragile ecosystem underneath it all:
A fragmented funding system
Massive attention spikes every four years
Underdeveloped commercial infrastructure
Sports that live or die based on viewership, not performance
Milan 2026 is an important Winter Games.
Today, we’ll cover the Olympic infrastructure, how to sell into NGBs, opportunities for founder/builders, and the platformization of sports.
Let’s Dive In 👇
The Olympic Ecosystem
An easy-to-understand Olympic ecosystem breakdown:
IOC: controls inclusion, formats, and long-term survival
USOPC / NOCs: focus on marquee Games (LA 2028, Milan 2026)
NGBs: actually train athletes, build youth pipelines, run events
Athletes: short monetization windows, massive pressure
Brands & Media: follow attention, not tradition
This chart shows the breakdown well:
NGBs are the “middle layer” doing the hardest work with the least funding.
It’s why technology, media, and storytelling now matter more than ever.
Here’s a more sophisticated view: