FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 15th, 2017

PRIMETIME FROM PYEONGCHANG: JOHNNY WEIR, TARA LIPINSKI & TERRY GANNON TO CALL OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATING ON NBC

Scott Hamilton to Serve as Olympic Correspondent and Analyst on New Daily Figure Skating Preview Show & Tanith White to Host

Andrea Joyce Returns as Figure Skating and Short Track Speed Skating Reporter

The Winter Olympics Begin Feb. 8 on the Networks of NBCUniversal

STAMFORD, Conn. – November 15, 2017 – Play-by-play commentator Terry Gannon, 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, and three-time U.S. figure skating champion Johnny Weir will handle NBC’s primetime figure skating coverage during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Gannon, Lipinski, and Weir received critical acclaim for their commentary on NBCSN’s live figure skating coverage at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, which helped the network post the 10 best weekday daytime audiences in its history. Later that year, they were named NBC Sports Group’s lead figure skating announce team.

Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton, who provided commentary for NBC Olympics from 2002-14, will serve as a special contributor and analyst on Olympic Ice, a new live daily figure skating preview show on NBCSN. Liam McHugh will host Olympic Ice, alongside 2006 Olympic ice dance silver medalist Tanith White, who will also offer analysis on the show. Andrea Joyce will reprise her role as a figure skating and short track speed skating reporter.

QUOTABLE

“Having covered figure skating since the mid-90’s I have never been this excited about an upcoming event. There is simply nothing quite like the Olympics. Four years of dreaming, competing and preparing with the knowledge that it will all come down to one night, one jump, one spin. I’m honored to be a part of the NBC team telling the stories and describing the action of the world’s greatest athletes under the most extreme pressure. Tara, Johnny and I had a blast in Sochi and can’t wait to get to PyeongChang to bring the 2018 Olympics to America in primetime!” – Terry Gannon

“My unforgettable and life-changing participation in the Olympic Games 20 years ago taught me so many things. Maybe most importantly, that every four years the Winter Olympic experience is truly one-of-a-kind and an honor to be a part of in any capacity. I am beyond thrilled to be representing NBC during their primetime coverage of figure skating in PyeongChang, and see this opportunity as an important privilege- with an obligation to our viewers to provide educated commentary and engaging storytelling as we crown the next champions in our sport. The level of competition in South Korea will undoubtedly be the best the world has ever seen in figure skating, and I cannot wait to see what the most compelling sport in the Winter Games (sorry, I’m a little biased), will have to offer come February.” – Tara Lipinski

“I am so honored and excited to bring figure skating into American homes during the 2018 Olympics. It’s an extreme privilege to craft the stories of the incredible athletes while enlightening and entertaining our audiences while we all enjoy a sport that has meant so much to my life. I can’t wait to get to PyeongChang and marvel at the performances of the skaters who across all disciplines, are competing at heights I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. Get ready America, winter has come!” – Johnny Weir

SNAP SHOTS – NBC OLYMPICS’FIGURE SKATING TEAM

 

Terry Gannon

  • 4th Olympics overall with NBC Sports
  • Debuts as lead play-by-play commentator for Olympic figure skating, previously handled golf play-by-play at the 2016 Rio Olympics, called figure skating and short track speed skating at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, along with rowing and flatwater canoeing at the 2012 London Olympics.
  • Calls figure skating, college basketball and golf for NBC Sports and events on Golf Channel
  • A two-time Academic All-American, Gannon was a member of the 1983 North Carolina State University National Championship Basketball team.

 

Tara Lipinski

  • 3rd Olympics overall with NBC Sports, previously serving as a figure skating analyst for NBCSN’s coverage of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and as a correspondent for the 2016 Rio Olympics
  • Debuts as lead analyst for Olympic figure skating
  • A member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, she is the youngest individual gold medalist in the history of the Olympic Winter Games, capturing a gold medal at the Nagano Olympics in 1998 at the age of 15.
  • At 14 years old, she was the youngest to win the U.S. and World Championships.
  • At the Kentucky Derby, Lipinski and Weir served as a fashion and lifestyle correspondents for NBC Sports Group from 2014-16. In addition, they were event reporters for NBC’s pre-game coverage of Super Bowl XLIX, the most-watched show in U.S. TV history with an average of 114.4 million viewers. Lipinski and Weir also worked for Access Hollywoodon its coverage of the 2014 Academy Awards.

 

Johnny Weir

  • 3rd Olympics overall with NBC Sports, previously serving as a figure skating analyst for NBCSN’s coverage of the 2014 Sochi Olympics and as a correspondent for the 2016 Rio Olympics
  • Debuts as lead analyst for Olympic figure skating
  • In a distinguished 16-year career, Weir won three consecutive U.S. titles (2004-2006), a total of six medals in 10 national championship appearances, and a bronze at the World Championships in 2008. He placed sixth in men’s figure skating at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010 and fifth at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics.
  • At the Kentucky Derby, Weir and Lipinski served as a fashion and lifestyle correspondents for NBC Sports Group from 2014-16. In addition, they were event reporters for NBC’s pre-game coverage of Super Bowl XLIX, the most-watched show in U.S. TV history with an average of 114.4 million viewers. Weir and Lipinski also worked for Access Hollywoodon its coverage of the 2014 Academy Awards.

 

Scott Hamilton

  • 5th Olympics with NBC Sports, 8th Olympics overall
  • NBC Olympics figure skating analyst since 2002
  • Won the gold medal in men’s figure skating at the 1984 Sarajevo Games
  • A member of the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
  • A four-time world champion, Hamilton also won five Grand Prix titles, including three at Skate America.

 

Andrea Joyce

  • 10th Olympics with NBC Sports, 13th Olympics overall
  • Has served in a variety of reporting roles in addition to figure skating and short track speed skating at the Olympic Games including gymnastics, diving, and swimming.
  • Joyce joined NBC Sports in 2000 and has covered a variety of events, including the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the P&G Gymnastics Championships.

 

Tanith White

  • 3rd Olympics overall with NBC Sports, previously serving as a reporter during the 2016 and 2014 Olympic Games
  • White and longtime partner Ben Agosto won the silver medal in ice dancing at the 2006 Torino Winter Games to become the first American couple to win an ice-dancing medal in three decades.
  • White and Agosto also finished fourth at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, won five U.S. championships, and four World medals (two silver, two bronze).

 

NBC Sports Group’s skating coverage continues this Sunday, Nov. 19 (10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN) with ISU Grand Prix France from Grenoble, France.

THE WINTER OLYMPICS BEGIN FEB. 8, 2018 ON THE NETWORKS OF NBCUNIVERSAL

— PYEONGCHANG 2018 —