In 2014, just three years after securing the broadcast rights to the Olympic Games through 2020, NBCUniversal extended their rights through 2032 with a $7.75 billion deal. Record-low viewership for the pandemic-impacted games of Tokyo in 2021 and Beijing in 2022 raised questions about the standing of the Olympic Games in the crowded U.S. sports landscape. However, recently NBCU announced that the presentation of the opening of Paris Olympics competition on NBC, Peacock, and across key NBCU platforms posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 41.5 million viewers, nearly doubling the opening Sunday of competition for the Tokyo Olympics (21.7 million across all platforms).
In a new Hub survey, nearly three-quarters of all respondents (73%) indicated that they would tune in at least once to this summer’s Paris Olympic games. When asked about their primary motivations to watch, respondents' top two answers across nearly every age and gender break were “Entertainment” and “Athletic Excellence.” Athletic excellence was already baked into the Olympic Games, but in a world where attention spans were short, entertainment seemed to be the key to ratings success. Molly Solomon, an executive producer leading the Olympic coverage, reminded her team that “every second counts.” If something was boring, it should be “killed.”
The television experience for the Paris Olympics was undoubtedly benefitting from the return of cheering crowds, packed venues, and a favorable time zone, but NBC believed that those factors alone were not enough to bring audiences back. With ten years left on their rights deal, the leadership of Comcast and NBCU realized that their presentation of the games needed to change. NBC reinvented its coverage and reached outside of traditional journalism and sports talking heads to re-engage loyal fans of the games and draw in a new generation of viewers.
According to Hub, NBC's new Olympics strategy included three key parts. Firstly, NBC enlisted three of the biggest names in sports and entertainment to help bring fun to the typically staid coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies. Joining returning host Mike Tirico in the booth for this year’s opening ceremony were the affable celebs Peyton Manning and Kelly Clarkson. Although Clarkson received blowback for her distracting commentary during the opening ceremony, the closing ceremonies, typically looser and more celebratory, were still anticipated. These would feature Tirico, Tara Lipinski, and Johnny Weir, with Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon joining for the first time, expected to add a bit of playfulness to the event.
Secondly, to attract a more diverse audience, NBC enlisted Snoop Dogg and Leslie Jones as celebrity correspondents. Snoop Dogg brought his unique spin as he carried the Olympic torch, explored the city, and embraced the Olympic spirit as only he could. Olympic enthusiast and SNL alumna Leslie Jones served as the “chief super fan commentator,” reporting from various sites across Paris and sharing updates on her social media channels. According to Hub’s data, “Famous Athletes” were a notable reason for nearly a quarter (22%) of viewers to tune in. NBC planned to have Snoop and Leslie capitalize on this as they documented their interactions with the athletes and their families.
Thirdly, Hub survey data found that 18-24 year olds were the least likely (64%) to say they intended to watch the games. Additionally, a third of this group (33%) indicated “The Social Experience” as one of their primary motivations to watch the Olympics, a response rate 94% higher than for all respondents. Attracting a new generation of Olympic enthusiasts was vital for their success and required innovation. To connect with GenZ and Gen Alpha on social media, NBC deployed the Paris Creator Collective, sending 27 creators to Paris to provide their own commentary on the games across Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and Overtime. With full access, the creators told the stories of the games through their eyes with custom content. For younger viewers, many of these creators were likely more familiar than the first-screen celebrity hosts and correspondents, making this second-screen experience a valuable strategic move for NBC.
The pandemic precautions, empty stands, and unfavorable time zones that marred the presentation of the last two games are not an issue in Paris. Instead, these games unfolded in a city beloved by many Americans, with venues packed with enthusiastic fans. This felt like a make-or-break moment for Olympic coverage in the U.S., and NBC was keenly aware of this. Early indications suggested that viewers had returned. Reinventing their strategy was essential for Comcast and NBCU and could set the standard for the remaining four Olympic games under their deal with the IOC. The focus on entertaining viewers would play a crucial role in determining whether the Olympics regained their former prominence or became just another event in a crowded sports calendar.
