By most accounts, NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics was a huge step forward for the network. NBC aired everything live across Peacock, the Gold Zone was a revelation, and the primetime coverage featured a more unique storytelling arc with the likes of Snoop Dogg.
But if there’s one area still left for improvement in NBC’s Olympics coverage it’s in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
For the Opening Ceremonies, NBC brought together the mad lib combo of Mike Tirico, Peyton Manning, and Kelly Clarkson. And the results were less than impressive.
Then came the Closing Ceremony coverage and the overwhelming deluge of Jimmy Fallon content that America stopped asking for years ago.
Over in the UK on the BBC, the famous British broadcaster didn’t rely on celebrities to get through its coverage of the Closing Ceremony and going overboard with the pomp and circumstance. Rather, it was the dry wit of Scottish commentator Andrew Cotter along with co-commentator Hazel Irvine, who continually made jokes throughout the proceedings from everything to being forced to talk about medals won by IOC dignitaries to athletes tripping over the carpet.
There was even a classic groan when one of the IOC presenters dropped the most painful pun of all-time, calling the Paris games “Seine-sational.”
Enjoy.
Here are the best one-liners from BBC commentator @MrAndrewCotter during the Olympic Closing Ceremony pic.twitter.com/WhTZJG5W1l
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) August 13, 2024
Cotter commentates everything from golf to rugby to the Olympics for the BBC. But if we were in charge of the Olympic broadcasts on NBC, we would do everything possible to bring him aboard for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if only for the Opening and Closing ceremonies so we can laugh along at all the absurdities.
