SI.com's Richard Deitsch reported NBC has named Rebecca Lowe "to be one of the hosts of its Sochi Olympics coverage." Lowe will "serve as the live weekday and weekend host" on NBCSN. The NBC Olympics Group in addition to Lowe has assigned "Football Night in America" host Dan Patrick to "host NBCSN's live weekday and weekend coverage from Sochi." Patrick "previously hosted NBC's daytime coverage" at the '12 London Games. NBC News' Lester Holt has been "assigned to host NBC's weekday afternoon Olympic coverage." The three hosts join "previously announced Bob Costas, NBC's primetime and late night host, and Al Michaels, who will serve as host for NBC on weekend afternoons and NBCSN on weekdays" (SI.com, 12/1).
BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS: PHILLY.com's Jonathan Tannenwald cited a source as saying that NBC "will be among the next round" of bidders for UEFA Champions League broadcast rights in the U.S. against current rights-holder Fox. ESPN reportedly also will "bid to regain rights that it held" from '94-'09. UEFA next week "will begin considering bids for a deal that will run" from the '15-16 season through '17-18 (PHILLY.com, 11/30).
UNIVERSAL THEMES: In Denver, Dusty Saunders writes HBO's documentary "Sport in America: Our Defining Stories," is "an engrossing, emotional study of how the universal thread of sports unites people and has shaped the American character -- despite sports' slimy underbelly." The format is "similar to previous HBO sports specials -- vintage film, tape and commentary from a variety of sports-oriented figures." The 95-minute film debuted on Thanksgiving and was produced with SI and Endgame Entertainment (DENVER POST, 12/2).
