NBC Sports has promised an expansion of Olympic sports coverage in Olympic off years with a recent spate of deals and programming commitments.
On Dec. 1, USA Track and Field announced an unprecedented eight-year deal with the network to broadcast and stream a series of domestic track events not related to the Games. NBC agreed to cover much of the production costs in exchange for expansive new rights over live distribution.
That followed announcements late last month that NBC channels will air more than 150 hours of bobsled and skeleton action this winter. NBC also is promising new high-water marks in skiing and snowboarding coverage this winter.
NBC Olympics President Gary Zenkel acknowledges the audiences for some of these events are small. But even if not commercial successes, the regular Olympic sports broadcasts serve an important purpose in the context of NBC’s $7.75 billion deal to air all of the Olympics through 2032.
“We do think it’s important for these sports to have a profile and platform,”
Zenkel said. “For the American audience to continue to have the opportunity to watch the emerging stars, the stars of prior Olympics, and also to keep some continuity between Olympics.”
For instance, NBC is promoting more than 100 hours of 2017 “test events” — events staged by international sports bodies in Pyeongchang, South Korea, to try out Olympic venues prior to the 2018 Winter Games.
USA Track and Field, seeking terms that would help restore the sport to its former spot at the pinnacle of American Olympic interests, wants NBC to promote the sport to casual viewers through more and better coverage, while still meeting the needs of its passionate community. CEO Max Siegel said he thinks the new deal accomplishes both, and for NBC, it gives the network more control in an age of evolving media consumption habits.
“As the rights landscape evolves, and the business evolves, it’s more and more important that when you acquire a rights package, you acquire every possible distribution path,” Zenkel said.
The sports still must compete for time with NBC and NBCSN’s other properties, including English Premier League soccer and NASCAR. Many of the smaller Olympic sports events will air on the less-distributed Universal HD channel, or only on NBCsports.com and the NBC Sports app.
