Follow our Olympics coverage in the lead-up to the Paris Games.
It is a maxim to keep in mind as you watch the world’s greatest athletes assemble in Paris this month: Never forget that the Olympics are a television show at their core.
The desire to procure the most eyeballs for its Olympic coverage is what guides NBC Universal above all, and the Paris Games, which run from Friday through Aug. 11 (a few events begin as early as Wednesday) will be a fascinating content experiment given the time difference between Paris and the U.S. (Paris is six hours ahead of the Eastern time zone.)
The time difference has prompted a philosophical change to NBC’s prime-time show, and prime time remains where NBC will draw its biggest audience, even as Olympic viewership has tumbled in recent cycles. The COVID-moved Tokyo Olympics averaged 15.6 million viewers per night in 2021 across NBC’s various television and digital platforms. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics averaged 11.4 million across all platforms, the least-watched Olympics in the modern era. It was a sharp decline from the 19.8 million average for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Paris is a big opportunity for the Olympics to get their viewership groove back.
The competition day in Paris will take place from roughly 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern, which means the day’s most popular events will air live on NBC platforms in the morning and afternoon. Viewers who can tune in will get at least nine hours of daytime coverage of the Paris Games’ biggest events on NBC, including live finals coverage of swimming, gymnastics and track and field. (Note: The Mountain and Pacific time zones will join the NBC daytime show live in progress, one and three hours after Eastern/Central. NBC said Mountain will receive an additional hour of programming from 4-5 p.m. MT; Pacific will receive an additional three hours of programming from 3-6 p.m. PT.)
On weekends, NBC programming expands, beginning as early as 5 a.m. ET, with extended hours live across the country. The Paris Games will have more programming hours on the NBC broadcast network than any previous Olympics. Peacock will be the U.S. streaming home and will stream every sport and event, including all 329 medal events. (For the most updated and complete Olympic TV schedule information, I recommend the website for NBC Olympics.)
Molly Solomon, executive producer and president of NBC Olympics production, said NBC’s curated nightly prime-time Olympics show (which they have titled “Primetime in Paris”) has the overarching goal of explaining to American viewers how and why the results earlier in the day happened.
“I’m particularly looking forward to prime time because it’s our opportunity to cover the Games where we can focus on the narratives and the moments that surround the events,” Solomon said.
Solomon cited in-house data that showed that 2/3 of NBC’s Olympics audience on weekdays will not have watched any Olympic programming when they come to prime time. To be as attractive to casual sports viewers as possible, NBC’s prime-time Olympic show will include a big emphasis on Paris as a central character of the Games; behind-the-scenes footage of athletes at the Olympic Village; technology to explain how a race was won or lost; audio from the families of athletes in the stands; social media reaction, and a heavy dose of NBC’s celebrity hires such as Snoop Dogg (we’ll get to the celebrity part later). The third hour of prime time will feature a branded sequence called “Event of the Night,” which will go in depth on the biggest competition that night.
NBC is upping its celebrity presence for its Olympic coverage in Paris, headlined by Snoop Dogg. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
“In prime time, we’re going to take you behind the curtain,” Solomon said. “We want to advance the story. You may know the what, but do you know the how and the why? You may have seen it happen in the afternoon, but do you know why it really happened? We’re going to give you behind-the-scenes access, more technology on the screen, and more post analysis.”
Here is another significant change: NBC’s Olympic production will be infused with celebrities everywhere. The Paris opening ceremony features Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning in addition to Mike Tirico, who will pull double duty as an afternoon and prime-time host. The network has breathlessly been publicizing Snoop Dogg, who will provide reports for NBC’s prime-time program, as well as the podcaster Alex Cooper. Other celebrities who will get heavy airtime include comedians Leslie Jones, Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson. “Saturday Night Live” performer/writer Colin Jost will cover the surfing competition from Teahupo’o, Tahiti.
How will this manifest for viewers? You’ll see things such as Cooper talking to Simone Biles about her journey over different Olympics, Manning learning how to do the shot put with U.S. Olympian Ryan Crouser, Jones interviewing swimmer Katie Ledecky, Cardi B chatting with Sha’Carri Richardson and actress Lily Collins getting a heptathlon lesson from Olympian Anna Hall. (Some parts of these ran during the U.S. trials coverage.)
For many of us used to Olympics past — raises hand — it feels a little too Hollywood. But NBC has been very clear that they want (need is probably more accurate) a younger demo.
You probably have additional questions; we have additional answers after talking to NBC Sports officials over the past couple weeks.
Can NBC and the Olympics get their TV ratings back up?
I think they can at least compared to the recent cycle. Olympic viewership has tumbled mightily in the U.S. since Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Those Brazil-based Summer Games averaged a massive 27 million viewers in prime time, but since then, the key viewership arrow has been heading south.
Much of this, of course, was out of NBCUniversal’s control. The Tokyo Games were delayed a year because of the pandemic, and the run-up to those Games was joyless given the state of the world. Complicating matters were the time zones. The Beijing Games headwinds included a focus on politics and human rights abuses in China, severe restrictions because of the pandemic, and many other factors.
Paris has a chance to change the trajectory. It’s hard to think of a city with a better aesthetic for a television show, and these Games have ready-made stars scheduled to compete, including Biles, Ledecky and LeBron James. Women’s sports are soaring at the moment, and transcendent athletes such as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are going to explode onto the public landscape. NBC obviously won’t come close to Rio — that world is gone — but we should see numbers that match or top Tokyo.
Where will the Paris Games air?
NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Paris Games can be found across NBC, Peacock, USA Network, E!, CNBC, Golf Channel, Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Universo, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app in the United States. The full sport-by-sport schedule for the Games is here.
What does Peacock have planned?
Peacock is the streaming home of the Olympics and will stream every sport and event, including all 329 medal events. It will air 5,000 hours of coverage, full-event replays, curated video clips, original programming; and more. The company hopes the Olympics will be a significant subscription-driver for the streamer. Peacock, which said it had 34 million paying subscribers as of March, has lost roughly $8.5 billion since its launch.
Peacock president Kelly Campbell said Peacock’s goal is to lean into features such as increased personalization and real-time interactivity. Examples of that include Peacock Live Actions, which lets fans choose their own viewing direction, and Peacock Discovery Multiview, where you can watch four events at a time. Other Peacock-specific features include “Olympic Highlights” with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson; “Watch with Alex Cooper,” where the podcaster will host a series of live interactive watch parties; and “Gold Zone,” which is a whip-around show hosted by NFL stalwarts Scott Hanson and Andrew Siciliano as well as Jac Collinsworth, Matt Iseman, and Akbar Gbajabiamila.
You have probably read that Peacock will use A.I. technology to offer a personalized recap for Olympic fans. “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock,” will use generative A.I. and A.I. voice synthesis technology to offer Olympic fans a customized recap of highlights and events from the Games. Each compilation will feature clips from the Olympics coverage and be narrated by an A.I. re-creation of Al Michaels’ voice.
“The big differentiator for us is Peacock,” said Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBCUniversal Media Group. “… In Tokyo, frankly, we didn’t do a very good job for our customers (with Peacock). We didn’t exactly deliver what we said we were going to deliver, and we have learned a lot from that. This time everything will be available on Peacock, including some bonus shows or specialty shows.”
How many commentators will NBC have calling the Games?
The talent roster includes more than 150 commentators across NBC’s networks and digital platforms. Some of the recognizable analyst names include Ato Boldon and Sanya Richards-Ross (track and field); Rowdy Gaines (swimming); Tim Daggett, Laurie Hernandez and Samantha Peszek (gymnastics); Misty May-Treanor (beach volleyball); Julie Foudy (Soccer); Dwyane Wade (basketball) and LaChina Robinson (women’s basketball).
Michael Phelps will offer commentary and analysis on the prime-time and daytime shows in Paris on NBC and Peacock, and will also join Dan Hicks and Gaines in the booth for select swimming competitions at Paris La Défense Arena. A full list is here.
Michael Phelps will be part of NBC’s swimming coverage alongside Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines on select nights. (Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
What can I expect if I just watch NBC in prime time each night?
NBC Olympics top executives will watch the coverage throughout the competition day and then at 5 p.m. Eastern, they’ll decide on a final format for the prime-time show. The goal is to present something that can appeal to casual sports viewers who see the Olympics as much about the spectacle as they do pure sports. You can expect something big to start each night’s coverage to get people excited.
“Research shows that it is a challenge to keep viewers after 10 p.m. ET,” NBC Olympics producer Rob Hyland said. “So you’ll see our strategy is to showcase an event or a couple events between about 9:45 and 10:15 p.m. and really keep the audience with us in a very limited commercial break structure in that window. It’s something we’re calling the ‘Event of the Night.’ For the first night of the Olympics, it will be the two relay finals of the pool (the women’s and men’s 4×100 freestyles). In that 28-30 minutes of content, there is one 60-second commercial break, and it’s a two-box break, where you’re still seeing images of the pool and the athletes.”
What can you tell me about the Spanish-language coverage?
Telemundo and Universo will offer more than 315 hours of Spanish-language coverage of live competitions and daily recaps. The company said they will have at least six hours of daytime coverage and up to 12 hours of programming on days when soccer is played.
Telemundo will present a two-hour late-night show highlighting the best Olympic stories of the day every weekday at midnight ET. Peacock will livestream all Telemundo and Universo programming, and the coverage will also be available on the Telemundo App, Telemundo.com, and NBC.com via “TV Everywhere” for customers with pay-TV subscriptions. The Spanish-language coverage includes 40-plus hosts, commentators, and reporters including Andres Cantor leading the announce team for the coverage of the men’s and women’s soccer tournaments.
Who are NBC’s main hosts?
The daytime hosts for NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Games include Rebecca Lowe, Craig Melvin, Ahmed Fareed, Damon Hack, and Tirico pulling double duty along with his prime-time hosting duties. Maria Taylor will serve as the late-night host for NBC. Cara Banks, Laura Britt, Trenni Casey, Lindsay Czarniak, Carolyn Manno and Kathryn Tappen will serve as Olympic hosts on USA Network, E! and CNBC.
What’s unique when it comes to the announcers?
NBC is introducing a gymnastics scoring analyst: three-time U.S. Olympian John Roethlisberger.
“When they threw out the perfect 10, all of a sudden the scoring system in international gymnastics is just not as understandable to the casual fan that comes to the Olympics every four years,” Solomon said. “John is also the voice of NCAA gymnastics and an Olympian himself. He’s just a great communicator, and I can’t wait to see what he brings.”
How will the city of Paris play into the coverage?
NBC plans to take full advantage of one of the world’s most iconic and visually appealing cities.
“The venues are going to be interwoven through the heart and the soul of the city — the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Grand Palais, Place de la Concorde, these are all backdrops for the venues,” Solomon said. “We are going to elevate Paris to be a co-star of these Games, just like the athletes. … I think a lot like London in 2012, Americans find themselves drawn to these kind of cities.”
With an Olympics in the iconic city of Paris, expect NBC to make heavy use of the French capital’s picturesque backdrop. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
How will NBC approach news-oriented or political stories?
Solomon said her group will not shy away from news, and she expected the Chinese swimming doping scandal to be part of the coverage.
“As in all past Games, we cover the news that affects the athletes and affects the competition,” Solomon said. “I expect the swimmers to be really outspoken on this, not just us, but international swimmers. When you look back at 2016, American breaststroker Lilly King wagged her finger at a Russian breaststrokr who had been accused of doping. Again in 2021, Ryan Murphy said, hey, I just raced in a race that probably was not clean. World events touch the Olympics, and when they do, we’re going to be covering them.”
What sport might break out for the U.S. audience?
Solomon said to keep an eye on four sports that were introduced in Tokyo 2021: skateboarding, 3×3 basketball (a three-on-three variation of the sport), sport climbing and surfing.
“I don’t think they got a chance to really introduce themselves because we all know the dampened enthusiasm and atmosphere in Tokyo,” Solomon said. “In Paris, I feel like it’s a reintroduction of those more youth-oriented sports. Surfing’s going to be contested in Tahiti. With the time difference, there’s one sport that actually could be live in prime time. I think the visuals of that are going to be really exquisite, and the U.S. has a really strong surfing team, and there’s so many great stories there.
“Also, there is really one new sport on the Paris program and that’s breaking, short for breakdancing. … The U.S. has some really great stories including Sunny Choi and Victor Montalvo. Did you know (breakers) do not pick their music? The Olympic DJ has the most power in the whole competition. He decides what he drops, and they have to dance to it.”
What should viewers expected as far as features?
Joe Gesue, NBC Sports’ senior vice president of Olympics production, and Ron Vaccaro, NBC Sports’ vice president of editorial, sent staffers around the world to interview global athletes. NBCU has 50 traditional long-form features planned and 20 of those are international athletes. But the 50 does not include the hundreds of athletes that they have footage on for shorter pieces. The idea is to have elements in place so they can react if someone emerges. You can expect to see Norwegians getting the feature treatment.“I think I’m going to smarten up for the next Olympics and just put a bureau in Norway,” said Jack Felling, vice president of original content for NBC Olympics.“I think it’s got the population of South Carolina [Norway’s population in 2022 was 5.457 million] and it always kicks above its weight class.”
How long does NBC have the Olympics?
NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2032, so Paris (2024), Milan-Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028) and Brisbane (2032). The host for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games has not yet been chosen, though the French Alps is the frontrunner.
How will NBCU judge success?
“For 17 straight nights, we’re going to have the best drama, the best reality, the best comedy show, all rolled into one,” said NBC Sports president Rick Cordella. “We’ll make you laugh, maybe cry, we’ll make you feel something — and that’s our goal.”
That’s the philosophical goal. But the core goal is to get you to watch. We’ll know by the second week of August if you did.
(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photo: Stuart Franklin / Getty Images)
