Skate America, the top annual international figure skating event held in the U.S., airs live on NBC Sports and Peacock from Friday through Sunday in Everett, Washington.

Ilia Malinin, a three-time world champion and Olympic team gold medalist, headlines the field for the fourth of six regular season stops on the Grand Prix Series, the sport’s premier international circuit.

Skate America 2026 Broadcast, Stream Schedule

Ilia Malinin opens season at Skate America

Malinin competes for the first time since a dominating third consecutive world title in March, rebounding from an eighth-place finish at the Milan Cortina Olympics, which snapped a 14-event win streak dating to 2023.

Malinin eyes a fourth career Skate America men’s singles title, which would match Nathan Chen’s total, one shy of Todd Eldredge’s record five. Malinin has won seven Grand Prix events in a row overall, a run dating to 2023.

His top challengers this week include Italian Daniel Grassl, who was ninth at the Olympics and fourth at each of the last two Grand Prix Finals. Plus two-time U.S. Olympian Jason Brown, a 31-year-old who made his senior Grand Prix debut at 2013 Skate America.

The women’s field features 2026 Olympic bronze medalist Ami Nakai from Japan, 2022 Olympic silver medalist Alexandra Ignatova (née Trusova) from Russia and 2025 U.S. junior champion Sophie Joline von Felten from Granby, Connecticut.

Already this season, Nakai won Grand Prix France, Ignatova became the first mom to make a Grand Prix podium (second at Cup of China) and von Felten became the second American woman to land a clean, fully rotated triple Axel in senior Grand Prix history after Amber Glenn.

In pairs, world champions Minerve Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany make their season debut.

Two-time U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov have a shot to qualify for their first Grand Prix Final (Dec. 10-13 in China). They likely need a podium at Skate America for a realistic chance, two weeks after placing second at Skate Canada.

The Grand Prix Final is the second-biggest annual figure skating competition after the World Championships. The field is exclusive — the top six per discipline based on skaters’ two results over the six-event Grand Prix regular season.

In ice dance, world bronze medalists Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik eye their first Grand Prix title and to carry on a U.S. tradition. American couples won 16 of the last 17 Skate America dance titles.