NEW YORK — Embarking on its 18th Olympics broadcast, NBC Sports is banking on a different experience for viewers for what is being billed as the “best reality show in the world” when the Summer Games kick off with the opening ceremony in Paris on July 26.
With the coronavirus pandemic effectively in the rearview mirror, the coverage will look much different from Beijing and Tokyo, as there will be spectators in person (more than 10 million tickets have been sold, according to NBC), more celebrity presence (including podcaster Alex Cooper and rapper Snoop Dogg), plus the broadcast of 32 different sports, with the two newest additions, kayak cross and breaking.
NBCUniversal unveiled its plans for extensive coverage during an event at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, commemorating being 30 days from the opening ceremony. Because Paris has a six-hour time difference from the East Coast of the United States, most of the live sports will take place in the afternoons, including the swimming, track and gymnastics finals.
Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, launched four years ago, was integral in getting new customers to sign up to watch the Olympics. But according to NBC executives, it wasn’t smooth sailing. The experience wasn’t what they expected, and this time, the main focus was modernization.
“We didn’t do a very good job of delivering to our customers,” Mark Lazarus, Chairman of NBC Universal Media Group, said, adding that Peacock will be the go-to…
