A Look Back at When NBC Began Broadcasting the Olympics

NBC's Olympic broadcasts began with the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 1964. The network pioneered live satellite coverage while other stations relied on tape delays, airing 14 hours of coverage across 15 days, and transmitted a live color broadcast from Japan to the U.S.

for the Opening and Closing Ceremony. NBC began covering the Winter Olympics in 1972 in Sapporo, Japan, the first Winter Games held outside Europe or North America. Because morning in Japan corresponded to primetime on the U.S. east coast, NBC was able to air some events live and broadcast 37 hours of coverage.

Through the years NBC has broadcast 18 Olympic Games, with Milan Cortina marking the 19th. The International Olympic Committee awarded NBCUniversal the U.S. media rights through 2036, which includes the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane, the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah, and the 2036 Summer Games.

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