NBC is inserting some pop culture flavor into the world’s biggest sports spectacle: From Megan Thee Stallion dancing with dressage horses at the Palace of Versailles to Peyton Manning riding a giant baguette blimp over the Eiffel Tower, the network has strategically partnered with several big names to build anticipation for the Paris Olympics.
Enlisting a plethora of entertainers and non-Olympic athletes is designed to entice viewers after the network — and longtime Olympics broadcaster in the U.S. — drew lackluster ratings for the last Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, and the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Held amid the coronavirus pandemic, those Games proceeded with muted fanfare and few announcers on-site.
But with over 11 million expected to attend the two-week Summer Games that start July 26, NBC — which holds the broadcasting rights to the Olympics through 2032 — wants to attract more viewers by bringing Olympic stories to life
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