This year features some overlap between two of sports' biggest global events: the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl — and that's created some interesting decisions for NBC.
The network was faced with a similar situation back in 2022, the last time the official partner of the Olympics carried both the Winter Games and the NFL's world championship. And according to reports, they plan on going the same route this time around.
Prior to '22, the last time a network followed up the Super Bowl with another sporting event was when CBS did so back in 1976. So, safe to say, it's been a while. But NBC appears to be breaking from longstanding tradition once again.
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NBC reportedly decides on post-Super Bowl broadcast
According to Variety, NBC is once again punting on the opportunity to promote a new or pre-existing entertainment program by going right back to the Olympics after the conclusion of Super Bowl LX.
Per writer Michael Schneider: "After the Vince Lombardi trophy is hoisted at the end of Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC Sports will segue to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics primetime show, 'Primetime in Milan,' at approximately 10:45 p.m. ET — including the women’s downhill competition (which will include Lindsey Vonn going for the gold as part of her comeback) and team figure skating."
The post-Super Bowl slot used to almost always go to some sort of sitcom or TV drama, but that was in our pre-streaming world.
NBCUniversal releases statement on Super Bowl LX & Winter Olympics
Instead NBCUniversal plans to double-down on sports for the day with both the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics in a busy night for the NBC Sports staff.
“We’re taking advantage of that huge audience all day, in both Olympics in the morning and then in Super Bowl, that comes to Peacock,” NBC chief marketing officer Jenny Storms said. “And then we’re going to be able to use promotion throughout the entirety of the day to make sure that we’re really pushing people once the events are over, once you’re out of the Super Bowl, out of the Olympics, now you have that next watch.”
“The legacy days where you’re using the one singular broadcast opportunity to then flow into something else. I think now, when you’re talking about a business that has multiple platforms and multiple ways to showcase content, I don’t think you have to be as reliant on a lead out,” Storms added.
Beijing Winter Olympics coverage in 2022 reportedly netted NBC 24 million viewers — so it's a pretty sound strategy. We'll see how big of an audience this year's games are able to draw after the NFL names its 2025-26 champion.