In a bit of a surprise, the Olympics are staying with NBC through 2020, covering the next four Olympics. The Peacock was able to beat out bids from competitors FOX and ESPN, both of whom at some point looked sure to beat out NBC after they lost Dick Ebersol. Ebersol was perhaps the one network executive most connected to the Olympics on US television, and his resignation last month looked like the death knell for NBC’s Olympic coverage.
Even yesterday, FOX seemed like it had become the new favorite. Say what you will about any of the three networks, but the Olympics would just feel out of place on a network other than NBC. Hopefully the network will heed some of the criticisms they’ve faced in recent years to make their telecasts even better.
Comments are closed.