US media company NBCUniversal has unveiled record coverage plans for the 2018 winter Olympic Games, confirming it will end the policy of delayed broadcasts in favour of live primetime coverage.
NBCU will present more than 2,400 hours of coverage of Pyeongchang 2018, the most for any winter Olympics.
The NBC network’s coverage of the Pyeongchang Games begins in primetime on February 8, at 8pm ET – one night before opening ceremony coverage – and continues until the closing ceremony on February 25. For the first time for a winter Games, NBC will present Olympic primetime coverage live across all time zones.
The 2,400-plus hours is comparable to the coverage of the past two winter Games combined. NBCU’s 631.5 hours of linear television coverage across four networks is the most ever for a winter Olympics, eclipsing Sochi 2014’s 541 hours.
NBC’s schedule is divided into three dayparts – daytime, primetime and primetime plus – for a total of 176 hours over 18 days. For the first time ever, NBC will present live coverage during its late-night primetime plus window.
NBCSN – NBC Sports Group’s sports network – will present 369 hours of coverage, including live primetime coverage of a winter Olympics for the first time ever, and 10 days of 24-hour programming.
CNBC – NBCUniversal’s cable business channel – will present 46 hours of coverage, again highlighted by its evening curling broadcasts, beginning on February 12. Cable entertainment channel USA Network will present 40.5 hours of ice hockey and curling coverage throughout the Games, the majority of which will be shown live.
NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will deliver more than 1,800 hours of live-event and television simul-stream coverage for the Pyeongchang Olympics. In a winter Games first, NBC's broadcast network content will be live streamed, including the daytime, primetime and primetime-plus shows.