At the winter TCA’s, NBC gave the media a sneak peek into the 2024 Summer Olympics, being held in Paris, France. Molly Solomon, Executive Producer & President of Olympic Productions and Rowdy Gaines, a swimming analyst, shared a stunning video showcasing the beautiful backdrop that will be a key player presiding over the games. That would simply be the city of light – Paris! (That nickname came about during the Enlightenment when Paris was known as a hub for education and intellectual pursuits.) The opening ceremony will see athletes aboard dozens of boats, floating down the Seine with a final stop at the Eiffel Tower. The broadcast will feature over 240 live hours of Olympic coverage across NBC and Peacock over the span of two weeks.
We were in the midst of a global pandemic during the last summer Olympic Games, which meant no fans in any of the stands cheering on the athletes. That’s devastating enough, but when you think of all the families, friends and coaches who helped to get those athletes to that career pinnacle, who couldn’t be there to watch and celebrate, it’s heartbreaking. In Paris, those families, friends, coaches, and thousands more will be cheering the athletes on in person once again. In primetime on NBC, there will be a focus on this. Solomon said “it’s important to tell the story behind the athlete, so you want to root for them.” This means we will not only get to see our American athletes compete, we will know why they are competing and how they got there. There are bound to be many inspirational stories to be shared.
One of the highlights of the Paris Olympics might be an unexpected one. It has nothing to do with sports or athletes. There will be a new member joining the Olympic reporting team! You may have heard of him – he goes by the name of Snoop Dogg. That’s right, the famed rapper and funny man is going to be in Paris, giving us commentary on the Olympics. It’s very clear that Snoop Dogg is a huge fan of the Olympics and one of the athletes and Olympic organization’s biggest cheerleaders. Snoop said his favorite thing about the Olympics is that it’s a time and symbol for world peace, “we all come together to celebrate and cheer on our athletes, we are all rooting for the same thing.” We can expect to see Snoop in the field doing interviews, hosting events and, in his words, “doing what Snoop does best, shaking it up, bringing my flavor and just having fun.” The man made a great point – we only get this event once every four years, we need to enjoy it! He is going to bring a level of humor to the games that we have never seen before.
When asked if there are any athletes we should be keeping a special eye on this summer, Gaines who has a true passion for swimming, said there are a couple. Katie Ledecky, a swimmer, is certainly one to watch. She had not lost a race in 13 years until about a month ago. Another swimmer, Thomas Highland broke Michael Phelp’s record and is likely to put on quite a show at the Olympics. I think it’s safe to say the 2024 Summer Olympics will show us plenty of beauty – beautiful stories of the athletes competing and beautiful scenery all around.
The 2024 Olympic Games will air on NBC and Peacock from July 26 – August 11. For more information click here.
Photos provided by NBCU Media Village.
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