NBC will carry next year’s marquee Olympic events live in the afternoon, repeating a successful programming strategy from last year’s Paris Games. Plus: the NFL is again discussing the possibility of ESPN assuming control of its media platforms, and ESPN is moving on from Top Rank Boxing.
NBC to repeat Paris programming strategy on Milan Olympics
NBC Sports announced Wednesday that it will again present its usual primetime Olympic fare live in the afternoon during next year’s Winter Games from Milan, a move it first made last year during the Paris Summer Olympics. Like Paris, Milan is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time, meaning that there are no live events that could air in primetime. Thus, as in Paris, the primetime show will again consist of a curated block of highlights and local color.
NBC’s live daytime show will consist of high-profile events like figure skating, freestyle skiing and snowboarding. The network plans to carry the most hours of Winter Olympics coverage ever on broadcast television.
Because NBC carried its usual primetime fare live in the afternoon, the network issued a combined daytime and primetime viewership figure throughout last year’s Olympics that allowed it to claim the largest primetime Olympic audience since 2012.
Peacock will again stream all Olympic events and the “Gold Zone” whiparound show, which has existed for several Olympics but gained greater prominence during last year’s Games. USA Network and CNBC, among the networks Comcast is spinning off into a separate company, will carry additional coverage.
Talks resume on ESPN assuming control of NFL Media
The NFL and ESPN have resumed talks on an agreement that would see ESPN assume control of the league’s media apparatus, including NFL Network and RedZone, John Ourand of Puck reported this week. Those talks were first reported early last year — originally as part of a deal that would see the NFL acquire a stake in ESPN — but stalled.
Per Ourand, ESPN’s looming direct-to-subscriber streaming service has been key in rekindling talks between the sides, as it would amount to additional marquee content for the platform.
Top Rank Boxing losing ESPN deal, rebuffed by Netflix, WBD
ESPN has informed Top Rank Boxing that it does not intend to renew its contract when it expires in August, Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported Tuesday. Per the report, Top Rank has approached Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery about a potential deal but was rebuffed in both instances.
Top Rank has been with ESPN since 2017, its second stint with the network after a previous run from 1980-96. During its current run with ESPN, Top Rank has delivered some of the largest boxing audiences on linear television, aided in most cases by cushy lead-ins from college football.
