NBC Universal will offer 416 hours of coverage of the XX Olympic Winter Games from Torino, Italy, Feb. 10-26, averaging 24.5 hours of coverage per day across its broad television platform, including NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC HD and Universal HD.
The 2006 coverage is more than a 10 percent increase from the 375.5 hours of coverage on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC of the previous Winter Olympics from Salt Lake City.
According to Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics and Olympics executive producer, the Torino production will include the most live coverage of a Winter Olympics and the greatest amount of HD coverage in Olympic television history.
Additionally, NBCOlympics.com will provide live results, up-to-the-minute TV listings, breaking news, feature stories and a video-intensive digital media experience. (See "Internet Broadcasting to co-produce NBCOlympics.com".)
Highlights will include:
- The most HD coverage in Olympic history. HD viewers will see a 1080i simulcast of the analog NBC network broadcast. Figure skating, hockey, long and short track speed skating, ski jumping, freestyle aerials and moguls, and the opening and closing ceremonies will be broadcast in 1080i high definition because those venues in Torino are wired for high-definition coverage by the host broadcaster. Venues from which the host broadcaster is unable to provide a high-definition signal will be upconverted by NBC. Local NBC affiliates’ DTV channels will carry the HD simulcast.
- Universal HD will simulcast much of the USA Network, MSNBC and CNBC coverage in HD, including Olympic hockey.
- 233.5 hours of coverage on USA Network, MSNBC and CNBC, 75 percent of which will be live, averaging 14 hours per day;
- 101.5 hours of mostly live coverage in the morning and afternoons on USA Network;
- 71 hours of coverage, including 24 live hockey games, on MSNBC;
- 61 hours of coverage on CNBC;
- Telemundo will provide regular news updates;
- NBCOlympics.com will provide video, up-to-the-minute searchable schedules and listings, live results, blogs, athlete profiles and games;
- Free on-demand video content;
- Navigation tools for analog and digital viewing through the TV Guide Channel.
