The Olympics is returning to the United States. In other news, NBC is taking its own Olympic break during the NHL season, and ESPN is again expanding Sunday NFL Countdown to three hours.
L.A. to Get Olympics in 11 Short Years
- Los Angeles has reached an agreement with the International Olympic Committee to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, it was announced Monday, the first time the Summer Games have been contested in the United States since 1996 — a 32-year span. Unless the U.S. wins the 2026 Winter Olympics, bidding for which has not yet begun, it will be the first time in 26 years that the country has hosted any Olympic Games. L.A. had been in the running for the 2024 Games alongside Paris, France, but became a candidate for 2028 when the IOC decided it would award both Olympics at its upcoming meeting in September. Paris is now virtually assured of hosting the 2024 Games. [L.A. Times 7.31]
NBC Taking An Olympic Break From NHL
- NBC Sports will not carry any NHL regular season games during the Olympics, a 2 1/2 week hiatus between Bruins-Rangers on February 7 and Flyers-Canadiens on February 26. The NHL decided that it would not schedule a break during the Olympics this year, essentially barring its players from competing. In part because of the Olympic break, the NBC broadcast network will carry only nine regular season windows this season — down from 14 last year and tied as the network’s lowest total since 2005-06. NBCSN will air 90 games, down from 92 last year. [NBC Sports PR 7.31]
Countdown Back to 3 Hours
- ESPN announced last week that it will again expand Sunday NFL Countdown to three hours, eliminating the one-hour edition of the now-canceled NFL Insiders that premiered two years ago. Countdown previously ran for three hours from 2011-14. [ESPN PR 7.26]
