LOS ANGELES, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Rona Bondurant did not want to sit at home watching the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan; she wanted to share the experience with a friend, celebrating ‌the unity of the global Games together.

"I wanted to see the Parade of Nations. ​It just makes me feel good to think that the world ‍is united somehow. It's important," she told Reuters ⁠inside the Westfield ⁠Century City AMC theater in Los Angeles.

Going to the AMC screening for the 2024 ‌Paris Summer Olympics inspired Bondurant to ​appreciate the sense of community that comes with watching the global event with a group.

NBCUniversal and AMC ⁠Theatres signed a deal to bring ‍live ​coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games to over 150 AMC locations across the U.S., the two companies said in ‍a January press release.

AMC will be screening a variety of live daytime events from the February 6 to 22 Olympics, including figure skating, skiing and snowboarding.

NBC and AMC also partnered for the 2024 Paris Games but for the 2026 Winter Olympics both ​companies have ‍become more ambitious, hoping to turn the televised international sports extravaganza into a social event.

For Yaffa Javedanfar, it did ​just that, as she arrived for the opening ceremony at the AMC theater with Bondurant to see the kickoff in theaters for the very first time.

"I've never watched it on screen. This is a new experience," she said.

"It reminds me of my childhood. I used to watch every ​second of everything with my family, and this is a good nostalgia," she added.

Milano Cortina Olympics coverage will be primarily available on the NBC broadcast network and ‍the streaming platform Peacock.