NBC Secures Massive Olympic Media Rights Deal Through 2036
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — NBC has inked a significant agreement with the International Olympic Committee that will see the network continue its coverage of the Olympics in the United States until at least 2036. The deal, valued at $3 billion, covers the 2034 Salt Lake City Olympics and the 2036 Summer Games.
The IOC announced on Thursday that Comcast NBCUniversal will now be considered a strategic partner rather than just a media rights holder. The agreement includes plans for joint initiatives and projects, as well as collaboration on the streaming platform Peacock.
With the 2036 host city yet to be determined, countries such as India, Qatar, Turkey, Hungary, and Indonesia have expressed interest. NBC’s previous Olympic rights deal, signed in 2014, covered both the Summer and Winter Games through 2032 at a value of $7.75 billion, including the upcoming 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
NBC’s successful coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, highlighted by popular correspondent Snoop Dogg, drew an average of 67 million total viewers daily across all platforms. The network’s partnership with the IOC was a pivotal decision made during Thomas Bach’s presidency, securing the financial future of the Olympic movement.
The renewal of the U.S. media rights deal comes just ahead of the election of Bach’s successor at an IOC meeting on March 20. Bach emphasized the evolving media landscape and the importance of providing an enhanced Olympic experience for fans in the United States through the partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal.
For NBC, which has been broadcasting the Olympics since 1988 for the Summer Games and 2002 for the Winter Games, this deal marks a continuation of their longstanding commitment to bringing the Games to American audiences. Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts expressed excitement about the future collaboration, aiming to leverage the company’s expertise in content creation and distribution to benefit athletes and organizers worldwide.
