Follow NBC News live updates for the latest on the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, where the curling events will open ahead of the opening ceremony.

Scoring an End: A game is divided into rounds called ends, typically eight or 10 per match. Once all 16 stones (eight per team) have been played, the team with the stone closest to the button scores one point for every stone that is closer to the centre than the opponent’s best stone.

When the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games come around every four years, there are many sports which compete to grab the attention of viewers around the world. However, there is one in particular that seems to capture the hearts and minds of many every time: curling.

Now, two months later, The Sports network (TSN) is streaming live coverage of Canada’s national women’s championship, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, to curling fans outside the country. The streams have been running all week and will peak with the semifinal on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 1 (1:00 p.m. ET) and championship final at 7:00 p.m.

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics' sports programme began on Wednesday with the curling mixed doubles, which started two days before the opening ceremony in Milan. Four matches will be held at the Cortina Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Wednesday in the first sporting event at the 2026 Games which officially run between February 6-22.

Scoring an End: Matches are split into rounds termed ends, usually eight or 10 per game. After all 16 stones (eight per side) have been delivered, the team whose stone sits nearest the button earns one point for each stone positioned closer to the centre than their rivals' closest stone.