This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
NBC Sports has issued all sorts of press releases about its upcoming coverage of the Rio Olympics, but this one caught my eye. And not for the obvious reason.
"Brazilian supermodels and actresses Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima will join NBC Olympics coverage of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro," reads the release.
Because what American sports fans really want is expert Olympic analysis from supermodels, right?
That's not why NBC hired them. NBC's coverage of the Olympics is not like other sporting events. It's less about the sports, more about the show.
"Adriana and Alessandra are the perfect ambassadors to guide viewers through the celebrations taking place outside of the competition, showcasing the off-the-field experience for Olympic fans," said executive producer Jim Bell, presumably with a straight face.
It's not like NBC will ignore the athletic events. On the contrary, it it will give you more than you've ever seen before.
The broadcast network (on KSL-Ch. 5) will have the opening and closing ceremonies (on tape-delay) and more than 250 hours in between. There will be hundreds more hours on Bravo, CNBC, the Golf Channel, MSNBC, NBCSN USA, and two "speciality channels" devoted to basketball and soccer.
And NBCOlympics.com will stream about everything live (other than the opening and closing ceremonies) — a total of 4,500 hours. You have to register to log in; you have to prove you subscribe to an eligible cable/satellite TV package; you'll want to do that in advance, not two minutes before the event you're interested in begins.
NBC has had huge ratings success with its approach, and ratings are what television is all about. If the network and the assorted NBC Universal cable channels that will also air Games content don't meet the ratings guarantees promised to advertisers, it will cost NBC a fortune.
And they already cost NBC a fortune — $1.23 billion for the rights; $100 million to promote the games; more than $100 million more to produce them.
It's a very risk venture. Despite big ratings, NBC lost money on the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Olympics. Depending on what figures you believe, it eked out a profit in 2012 and 2014.
NBC needs people who don't actually care about track and swimming to tune in. Which is why the supermodels "will present features and offer commentary" in NBC's late-night shows, which will be anchored by noted sportscaster Ryan Seacrest from the network's studio on Copacabana Beach.
Hmmm … the beach and supermodels — do you think there will be bikinis involved?
Remember, it's an entertainment show first, a sports event second.
Scott D. Pierce covers TV for The Salt Lake Tribune. Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce.