July 26, 2012 BOB COSTAS TO HOST OPENING CEREMONY OF THE GAMES OF THE XXX OLYMPIAD ON NBC WITH MATT LAUER AND MEREDITH VIEIRA TOMORROW, 7:30 P.M. ET/PT ON NBC Ryan Seacrest and Tom Brokaw to Contribute Interviews and Reports Queen Elizabeth II to Officially Open Games; First Lady Michelle Obama to Lead Official U.S. Delegation; Sir Paul McCartney to Perform London Olympics Opening Tease Voiced by British Actors Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt
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LONDON – July 26, 2012 – NBC’s Olympic primetime host Bob Costas will host the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony from Olympic Stadium alongside co-hosts Matt Lauer, NBC’s ‘Today’ co-anchor, and NBC News Special Correspondent Meredith Vieira, tomorrow – at a special early start time 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. Costas and Lauer anchored the Opening Ceremony together at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. Olympic primetime correspondent Ryan Seacrest and NBC News Special Correspondent Tom Brokaw will contribute interviews and reports.

NBC’s opening tease of the London Olympics, which highlights the big stories of the Games and London as the host city, will air during the Opening Ceremony. The tease is voiced by British actors Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt, and is produced by the NBC Olympics features unit.

The 2012 London Olympics will be Bob Costas’ 10^th for NBC and his ninth as primetime host. After serving as late night host in 1988 from Seoul, South Korea, Costas earned acclaim for his work as primetime host from Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Salt Lake City, Athens, Torino, Beijing and Vancouver. Costas, who has the longest tenure of the network’s sports commentators, joined NBC in 1980.

The 2012 London Olympics will be Matt Lauer’s ninth Olympics for ‘Today’ and his third in a role on the primetime Opening Ceremony broadcast. Lauer has served as co-anchor of ‘Today’ since 1997; he joined the show in 1994 as news anchor.

While the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will not be streamed live, NBCOlympics.com will distribute some clips from the Opening Ceremony before the event airs in primetime. The clips will also be promoted across NBC Olympics’ social media partners, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. As previously announced, every Olympic sporting event will be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com.

NBCUniversal, presenting its 13^th Olympics, the most by any U.S. media company, will make an unprecedented 5,535 hours of the 2012 London Olympics coverage available across NBC, NBC Sports Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, Telemundo, NBCOlympics.com, two specialty channels, and the first-ever 3D platform, an unprecedented level that surpasses the coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics by nearly 2,000 hours.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE GAMES: The Games of the XXX Olympiad begin in grand and royal style as London, the first city to host the Olympics three times, welcomes the world, and Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Games. Other members of the Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, are scheduled to attend.

NBC OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY FACTS

• Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney has announced that he will perform;
• First Lady Michelle Obama will lead the official U.S. delegation;
• British filmmaker Danny Boyle is the chief director of the Opening Ceremony. He is best known internationally for the film Slumdog Millionaire, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and earned Boyle the Oscar for Best Director, in 2008;
• A cast of more than 15,000 will take part in the spectacle.

Parade of Nations: The 2012 London Olympics will welcome more than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries, plus one group of athletes who will march under the Olympic flag as “Independent Olympic Athletes.” These are athletes whose countries don’t have National Olympic Committees (NOCs) – South Sudan, a new country with no NOC, and athletes from Netherlands Antilles, which no longer has its own NOC.

In the Parade of Nations, the teams will enter the Olympic Stadium in London in alphabetical order. According to Olympic tradition, Greece marches first and the host nation, Great Britain, enters last. Team USA will march 195^th. NBC’s broadcast of the Opening Ceremony will include every country’s delegation during the Parade of Nations.

Cameras: 92 total: NBC has 25 unilateral cameras (including a camera mounted on a blimp) and access to an additional 67 host broadcaster cameras.

Spotters: More than 20 spotters will be used by NBC to help identify athletes during the Parade of Nations.

OPENING CEREMONY CREDITS:

Executive Producer – Jim Bell

London marks Bell’s first Olympics as executive producer. Bell has worked on every Olympic Games NBC has broadcast since 1992, in either sports (1992, 1996, 2000, 2002 and 2004) or news (2006, 2008 and 2010). Bell also serves as executive producer of NBC News’ ‘Today.’

Director – Bucky Gunts

Gunts has directed every Opening Ceremony since Salt Lake City in 2002, and has been honored with four Primetime Emmy Awards for his work as director of the Opening Ceremony: Salt Lake City (2002), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and Vancouver (2010). He is the head of production of NBCUniversal’s coverage of the London Olympics.

Producers – Molly Solomon and Joe Gesue

Solomon, who is also the producer of NBC’ Olympic primetime show, is working her 9^th Olympics for NBC. She began her Olympics career for NBC in 1990 as one of two researchers for the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Gesue is working his 8^th Olympics for NBC. He began his NBC Olympics career as a researcher for the 1996 Atlanta Games, and also serves as the executive editor for NBCUniversal’s coverage of the London Olympics.

NBC’s Award-Winning Opening Ceremony Coverage: NBC won a Peabody Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards for its coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award for the Opening Cermony of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. The Peabody organization called the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony broadcast, “an exponential magnification of what was once known in television as a ‘spectacular.’” This marked the first Peabody Award ever won by NBC Sports, and the first for an Olympics in 33 years. Previously, the 1972 Summer Games and the 1976 Summer and Winter Games had been honored (ABC).

NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympics Live Extra app, available on mobile devices and tablets, will live stream all sporting events for the first time ever, more than 3,500 total programming hours, including all 32 sports and the awarding of all 302 medals. The vast majority of live stream content will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers.

For more information on live streaming, please go to: NBCOlympics.com/LiveExtra

For the full schedule of NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage, please go to: NBCOlympics.com

For press information, bios, photos and releases, please go to: NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com

Listings subject to change (all times ET unless otherwise noted).

Tomorrow’s coverage includes:

FRIDAY, JULY 27 (Day 0)



NBC

7:30 p.m. – Midnight (ET/PT)

Opening Ceremony

· The Games begin in grand and royal style as London, the first city to host the Olympics three times, welcomes the world and Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Games. The Opening Ceremony, directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) also features the Parade of Nations, as athletes from more than 200 countries march into the Olympic Stadium together in one of the most powerful symbolic events in the world. The pageantry culminates with the always highly anticipated lighting of the Olympic Cauldron.

Tomorrow’s coverage includes:



SATURDAY, JULY 28 (Day 1)



NBC

5 a.m. – 6 p.m. (ET/PT)

Swimming – Qualifying Heats

Men’s Cycling – Road Race (LIVE)

Men’s Beach Volleyball – Gibb/Rosenthal (U.S.) vs. Chiya/Goldschmit (South Africa) (LIVE)

Women’s Volleyball – U.S. vs. South Korea (LIVE)

Women’s Basketball – U.S. vs. Croatia (LIVE)

Rowing – Qualifying Heats

· 14-time gold medalist Michael Phelps’ first swim of the London Games is in the qualifying heats of the 400m individual medley, the first of his four chances to become the first male swimmer to win an individual event at three consecutive Olympics. Daytona Beach, Florida’s Ryan Lochte is the reigning world champion and has dominated the event of late, including a head-to-head victory over Phelps at the Olympic Trials.

· LIVE coverage of cycling’s men’s road race provides viewers with a spectacular introduction to London. The road race travels through the heart of central London, with a mix of majestic landmarks and the natural beauty of the Royal Parks included along the way. Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish is among the favorites, which should add even more energy to the massive crowd expected to line the streets of London. The Americans field a strong team as well, led by Taylor Phinney and Tyler Farrar.

· LIVE coverage of the U.S. women’s volleyball team’s first match vs. South Korea. Led by Hugh McCutcheon, who coached the U.S. men to the Olympic title in 2008, the American women are favored to win their first Olympic gold.

· LIVE coverage of the U.S. women’s basketball team’s first game. Led by former UConn stars Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore, the Americans are favored to win their fifth straight Olympic gold medal in London.

· Plus, LIVE coverage of beach volleyball, always one of the most electric sports of the Games, from the heart of ceremonial London, at Horse Guards Parade, and the first day of the rowing competition, from prestigious Eton Dorney.

8 p.m. – Midnight (ET/PT)

Swimming – Gold Medal Finals

Men’s and Women’s 400M Individual Medley

Men’s 400M Freestyle

Women’s 4 x 100M Freestyle Relay

Men’s Gymnastics – Team Competition

Women’s Beach Volleyball – May-Treanor/Walsh (U.S.) vs. Cook/Hinchley (Australia)



· Michael Phelps begins his drive to become the most decorated Olympian of all-time in an event he’s won at the past two Olympics: the 400m individual medley. This event also marks the first head-to-head showdown between Phelps and teammate Ryan Lochte, the reigning world champion who defeated Phelps at Trials. 17-year-old Colorado phenom Missy Franklin swims for her first Olympic medal as she leads Team USA in the 4x100m free relay. Plus world champion Elizabeth Beisel competes in the women’s 400m individual medley and Peter Vanderkaay leads the U.S. charge in men’s 400m freestyle.

· Gymnastics begins with men’s team qualifying. The U.S. men are vying for their third consecutive medal in the team competition. Their prospects look strong with a deep group led by a dynamic pair of first-time Olympians: Bronx native John Orozco and Cuban-born Danell Leyva.

· Beach volleyball, one of the Games’ hottest sports, comes to the heart of ceremonial London, at Horse Guards Parade. Just down the road from the Queen’s home at Buckingham Palace, the queens of the sand, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, are eyeing a golden three-peat after sweeping the competition in Athens and Beijing without dropping a set.

12:30 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. (ET/PT)

Gymnastics – Men’s Team Competition

Women’s Weightlifting – 48KG Gold Medal Final

· The first gold medal in weightlifting will be decided among the sport’s lightest athletes. Women weighing no more than 106 pounds will need to lift more than twice their body weight to reach the podium.

NBC SPORTS NETWORK

4 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Women’s Soccer – Qualifying Round (LIVE)

U.S. vs. Colombia (LIVE)

Brazil vs. New Zealand (LIVE)

France vs. North Korea (LIVE)

Beach Volleyball –

Women’s – Zhang/Xue (China) vs. Vasina/Vozakova (Russia) (LIVE)

Men’s – Fijalek/Prudel (Poland) vs. Samoilovs/Sorokins (Latvia)

Women’s Volleyball – China vs. Serbia (LIVE)

Equestrian – Eventing Dressage

Women’s Handball – Norway vs. France

Women’s Shooting – 10M Air Rifle Gold Medal Final

Men’s Archery – Team Gold Medal Final

Women’s Fencing (LIVE)

Men’s Table Tennis – Kim (North Korea) vs. Wang (U.S.)

Women’s Badminton – Bae (South Korea) vs. Tee (Malaysia)



NBC SPORTS NETWORK HIGHLIGHTS

· NBCSN’s daily feast of live Olympic action kicks off today with live coverage of the two-time reigning Olympic champion U.S. women’s soccer team. The 16-hour show also includes the first gold medal to be awarded at the Games, in shooting’s women’s air rifle competition. Czech shooter Katerina Emmons, wife of American shooter Matt Emmons, will attempt to defend her gold medal.

BRAVO

7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Tennis – Early Rounds (LIVE)



BRAVO HIGHLIGHTS

· The men’s and women’s singles and doubles tennis competitions get underway with live coverage from the historic grass courts of Wimbledon.

MSNBC

7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Women’s Soccer – Qualifying Round

Japan vs. Sweden (LIVE)

Canada vs. South Africa (LIVE)

Great Britain vs. Cameroon (LIVE)

Men’s Beach Volleyball – Grotowski/Garcia-Thompson (Great Britain) vs. Binstock/Reader (Canada) (LIVE)

Women’s Handball – Denmark vs. Sweden

Women’s Fencing – Individual Foil Gold Medal Final

Men’s Badminton – Cung/Lee (South Korea) vs. Bach/Gunawan (U.S.)

Women’s Table Tennis –

Molnar (Croatia) vs. Zhang (U.S.)

Hsing (U.S.) vs. Silva (Mexico)

Women’s Fencing

MSNBC HIGHLIGHTS

· MSNBC offers ten hours of team and racket sports, including live soccer and live beach volleyball from majestic Horse Guards Parade, in the heart of ceremonial London.

CNBC

8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Boxing – Elimination Bouts (LIVE)

3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Boxing – Elimination Bouts (LIVE)



CNBC HIGHLIGHTS

· Often the proving grounds for many of the next great professional boxers, the Olympic boxing tournament opens with a full day of bouts between the world’s best.

NBC OLYMPIC BASKETBALL CHANNEL

4 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball – Qualifying Round

U.S. vs. Croatia (LIVE)

China vs. Czech Republic (LIVE)

Canada vs. Russia (LIVE)

Turkey vs. Angola (LIVE)

Brazil vs. France (LIVE)

Australia vs. Great Britain (LIVE)

NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL

7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Women’s Soccer – Qualifying Round

U.S. vs. Colombia (LIVE)

Japan vs. Sweden (LIVE)

New Zealand vs. Brazil (LIVE)

France vs. South Korea (LIVE)

Canada vs. South Africa

Great Britain vs. Cameroon

TELEMUNDO

8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (ET/PT)

Opening Ceremony

Swimming – Qualifying Heats

Women’s Volleyball – Qualifying Round

Beach Volleyball – Qualifying Round

Boxing – Elimination Bouts

Midnight – 2:30 a.m. (ET/PT)

Swimming – Gold Medal Finals

Men’s Gymnastics – Team Competition

3D

5 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Opening Ceremony