Bevacqua said that ad sales for NBC's broadcast of the upcoming Tokyo Games are off to a strong startTONY FLOREZ
NBC Sports Group President Pete Bevacqua believes having the '20 Tokyo Games sandwiched between the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention will boost viewership for the two-week event. The DNC will take place July 13-16, just before the Olympics start on July 24, while the RNC is scheduled for Aug. 24-27, two weeks after the Olympics conclude on Aug. 9. Bevacqua said of the timing of the conventions, "We see it as an unbelievably favorable position. Sports, as we know, in most instances, can just transcend politics and can serve as a great form of escapism." He added, "It’s going to be a great moment for people in this country to say, 'Wow, for 17 days, let’s focus on this.'" Bevacqua also said ad sales for next summer’s Olympics are "off to such a strong start."
MOVING ON: Bevacqua briefly addressed the recent departure of longtime NBC Olympics President of Production & Programming Jim Bell, who he called "incredibly talented." Bevacqua said, "Change happens. Change is change. The good news, and why I didn’t have that 'Oh, what are we going to do' moment, is because we have such an unbelievably talented team with so much experience."
