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When longtime combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani first heard from the CBC to see if he’d be interested in an Olympic work assignment, he thought it was a prank.
The email happened to arrive shortly after he had a couple of preliminary meetings with NBC, which holds the American rights to the Games.
“All of a sudden, my home country’s broadcaster reaches out,” Helwani recalled. “I’m like, ‘What universe is this?”‘
The 43-year-old Montreal native jumped at the opportunity. He removed himself from consideration for any potential NBC work and made his CBC debut at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Helwani has returned to the corporation for his first Winter Olympics experience as a special contributor at the Milano-Cortina Games.
“It was really exciting to show people that I could be put in any situation, cover any type of story, subject or sport,” he said. “[Paris] went really well. And then they asked me if I wanted to come back for 2026, and it was a no-brainer to do it all over again.”
Figure skater Elladj Baldé, hurdler/bobsledder Phylicia George and sportscasters Cabral (Cabbie) Richards and Donnovan Bennett are also on board as CBC special contributors across all platforms.
Helwani’s feature interviews with athletes like NHL star Sidney Crosby, snowboarder Cam Spalding and freestyle skier Maia Schwinghammer started rolling out weeks ago.
Sidney Crosby chats with Ariel Helwani for an exclusive conversation about his motivation this season as we approach the 2026 winter Olympics, what it will take to compete for Canada again on the world stage & untold stories of the iconic 2010 golden goal.
He’ll be based in Livigno, Italy, during the Games, where he’ll dive into more Olympic stories and host a nightly digital show.
“He was such a revelation in Paris,” said CBC Sports executive director Chris Wilson. “I mean, I was there with him a lot and watching him interact with the athletes. He’s an incredible interviewer, and I think the reason is because he’s curious and he listens.
“All of the interviews he did with athletes I just found were so grounded and interesting. Because he hadn’t necessarily come up in the Olympic space, he was asking very different questions.”
Helwani has covered combat sports — including mixed martial arts, pro wrestling and boxing — since 2001. Now the executive editor of Uncrowned.com, he has worked for ESPN, Fox Sports, Vox Media, NBC Sports, HBO Sports, Showtime Sports and other outlets over his career.
Perhaps best known as host of “The Ariel Helwani Show,” a podcast and video program, Helwani calls it a “dream” to get an opportunity to flex different sports media muscles outside his usual beat.
“I don’t want to just be known as a combat sports journalist, a personality, host, whatever,” he said in a recent interview as he commuted to his studio in New York. “I want to be known as the best. I’m very grateful.”
The early feedback to his pre-Games interviews has been positive, Helwani added.
“I think that I approach interviews a little bit different,” he said. “In the way I ask questions, in the way I prepare and the way I try to connect with the subject.”
Helwani uses a breezy, conversational style that tends to put the subject at ease. His deep general sports knowledge can create interesting interaction, which often generate thoughtful answers.
“I’m not nervous or anything like that,” Helwani said. “And I learned [in Paris] I could get anyone to open up, and I could cover any type of sport, even if I’m not an expert in it.
“The 18 days or so in a row is a grind, but it’s really cool to do something that you feel is impactful, and it’s really fun to be able to reach new people.”