Event expected to be most-watched live Winter Olympics ever
The networks of NBCUniversal expect to present the most live Winter Olympics ever, when the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, begin on Feb. 8.
With the benefit of a 14-hour time difference, NBC and NBCSN will present live competition in primetime on every night of the PyeongChang Olympics (excluding the days of the opening and closing ceremonies).
Figure skating, alpine skiing or snowboarding will be featured live in primetime every night on NBC from Thursday, Feb. 8, to Saturday, Feb. 25, (excluding Feb. 9, which will feature the opening ceremony), as viewers across the country will watch the likes of Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn, Ted Ligety, Nathan Chen, Shaun White and Chloe Kim pursue Olympic gold.
In addition, for the first time ever at a Winter Olympics, NBC will broadcast Olympic primetime competition live across all time zones. Whether daytime, primetime or "Primetime Plus" (formerly the late night show), all U.S. viewers will be able to watch NBC's coverage of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games from PyeongChang, South Korea, at the same time. NBCOlympics.com will offer live streaming of the NBC broadcast network, including primetime and primetime plus, and NBCSN will air live primetime coverage, both firsts at a Winter Games.
"Contrary to popular belief, the 14-hour time difference works very well for live primetime coverage," said Jim Bell, president, production and programming, NBC Olympics. "People initially think it's all the way on the other side of the world, but the time difference is 14 hours, so that means that 8 p.m. Eastern is 10 a.m. the next day in South Korea. That's right when many of the marquee events - figure skating, alpine, snowboarding - will be taking place. This year, NBC will broadcast live across all time zones to the entire country, creating a unique national collective experience for this event - and we will be everywhere - from broadcast and cable television, to digital streaming, and social media."
On most nights of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, NBC's primetime broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT, 6 p.m. MT, and 5 p.m. PT. It will be followed by local news, and then primetime plus, consisting of live continuing coverage from PyeongChang, which will air until 2 a.m. ET on many nights. A replay of the primetime program will then follow.
For the first time, NBC Olympics will live stream an opening ceremony. The live digital coverage from PyeongChang will begin Friday, Feb. 9, at 6 a.m. ET on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app, and will feature the pageantry and the Parade of Nations with world feed graphics and the event's natural sound (without commentators). NBC's fully produced presentation of the opening ceremony, hosted by Mike Tirico and Katie Couric and featuring interviews and profiles, will air that night at 8 p.m. ET. Live streaming of all Olympic competition has occurred at every Games since London 2012.
"We are excited to live stream for the first time the Olympic Broadcasting Service's world feed of the opening ceremony. NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will continue to provide immersive coverage of all events in the NBC Sports portfolio," said Rick Cordella, executive vice president and general manager, digital media, NBC Sports Group
Click HERE for more information on NBC's unprecedented live primetime Winter Olympics coverage.
