NBC Sports Pressbox

RECORD 178 COMMENTATORS JOIN NBC OLYMPICS’ COVERAGE OF THE GAMES OF THE XXXII OLYMPIAD FROM TOKYO, JAPAN

NBC Talent Roster Has Won 76 Olympic Medals Including 41 Gold

Mike Tirico to Host NBC Primetime Show from Outdoor Set Overlooking Tokyo Skyline

The Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics is Friday, July 23 on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 23, 2021 – Mike Tirico leads a record 178 NBC Olympics commentators as NBCUniversal presents more than 7,000 hours of coverage of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad from Tokyo, Japan across NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSN, GOLF Channel, Peacock, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, Telemundo, Universo, the NBC Sports app, and NBCOlympics.com.

The roster includes Olympians who have won a combined total of 76 Olympic medals — 41 gold, 19 silver, and 16 bronze. Team NBC would have finished second in the Rio medal count ahead of China and Great Britain and behind Team USA.

The overall talent lineup features the return of many of the network’s signature Olympic hosts, play-by-play commentators and analysts with Olympic experience.

NBC Olympics commentator notes:

Team NBC total combined medals vs. top countries in 2016 Rio Olympics:

 

Total Medals Gold Medals
United States 121 46
Team NBC* 76 41
China 70 26
Great Britain 67 27
*includes 17 overall and 6 gold medals by Team NBC at Winter Games

 

 

FOLLOWING IS A RUNDOWN OF NBC OLYMPICS’ ON-AIR & DIGITAL TEAM:

NBC, USA NETWORK, CNBC, NBCSN & OLYMPIC CHANNEL: HOME OF TEAM USA HOSTS:

 

 

PEACOCK COMMENTATORS: Peacock’s gymnastics coverage will include Olympic medalist Bridget Sloan and three-time Olympian John Roethlisberger. Two-time Olympic medalist Laurie Hernandez as a gymnastics studio analyst and Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila will host Peacock’s morning show Tokyo LIVE. Rich Eisen will host Tokyo Gold, and Cari Champion and Kenny Mayne will host Tokyo Tonight, which will bring fans into the Games with quick turnaround highlights as well as interviews and feature stories every evening. Jac Collinsworth will serve as contributor to Tokyo Tonight on-location in Tokyo. Lindsay Czarniak, Lolo Jones, and MJ Acosta-Ruiz will host On Her Turf at the Olympics, the first NBC Olympics show dedicated to covering women’s sports at the Games. Amber Ruffin, of Peacock’s late-night series The Amber Ruffin Show, will provide her unique commentary and comedic analyses from Tokyo on Peacock and across NBCUniversal platforms.

OLYMPIC CORRESPONDENTS:

 

 

 

 

 

 

REPORTERS: NBC Olympics’ reporters will cover various venues and locations throughout the Games, and will contribute to features on a variety of platforms. The reporters include: NBC News correspondents Sam Brock, Natalie Morales, Anne Thompson, and Dr. John Torres, along with Olympic medalists Gus Kenworthy, Jessica Mendoza, Apolo Ohno and Tanith White. The NBC Olympics roster will also include Tina Dixon, Naoko Funayama, Selema Masekela,  Corey Robinson and Rutledge Wood. Kerith Burke returns for her second NBC Olympics assignment, after serving as the reporter for women’s basketball in Rio in 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS:

GYMNASTICS: Five-time Olympic medalist and 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin returns as a gymnastics analyst after making her debut in the role in Rio, alongside two-time Olympic medalist Tim Daggett (eighth time as NBC Olympics’ gymnastics analyst) and play-by-play voice Terry Gannon. Gannon makes his Olympics gymnastics debut in his fifth overall NBC Olympics assignment.  Andrea Joyce returns as a reporter for her 11th Olympics with NBC Sports Group and 15th overall.

SWIMMING: Dan Hicks calls swimming in Tokyo alongside analyst and three-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines. Tokyo marks the seventh Olympics calling swimming together for Hicks and Gaines. NBC’s Sunday Night Football sideline reporter  Michele Tafoya joins Hicks and Gaines in Tokyo, working her fifth Olympics, and second as a swimming reporter.

TRACK & FIELD:  Leigh Diffey a versatile talent known for his enthusiastic play-by-play commentary on ‘speed sports,’ makes his debut calling Olympics track & field, which also marks his fourth overall NBC Olympics assignment. Paul Swangard makes his NBC Olympics debut, calling field events including the high jump, shot put and pole vault.

Ato Boldon returns as an analyst in his sixth Olympic assignment, while Sanya Richards-Ross  serves as an NBC Olympics analyst for the second time after joining Team NBC at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Kara Goucher, who competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics as a long-distance runner, makes her NBC Olympics debut as a distance analyst, and Trey Hardee, a two-time Olympic decathlete who won a silver medal at the 2012 London Games, serves as an NBC Olympics analyst for the second time after serving in the same capacity in Rio in 2016. Lewis Johnson will serve as a track and field reporter in his 11th assignment with NBC Olympics.

Bill Spaulding will call track & field play-by-play on Peacock and USA Network alongside analyst Tim Hutchings, a former middle-distance runner who represented Great Britain at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Alysia Montano, a 2012 Olympian in the 800m, will provide sprint analysis.

DIVING: Ted Robinson, working his 12th Olympics, will handle play-by-play for diving coverage.  Cynthia Potter, who made three Olympic teams and won bronze in 1976, returns as analyst, a role she’s handled for NBC since the 1992 Games. Kelli Stavast will serve as a diving reporter in Tokyo for the second time and her third overall NBC Olympics assignment.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Chris Marlowe won a gold medal as captain of the 1984 U.S. Olympic volleyball team, and will return to handle beach volleyball play-by-play for his eighth Olympics as an NBC commentator. Marlowe will split play-by-play duties with Kenny Albert, making his seventh NBC Olympics appearance. Beach volleyball Olympian Kevin Wong returns for his third Olympic assignment as an analyst, joined by analyst and former member of the U.S. women’s national volleyball team Amy Gant, who makes her second NBC Olympics appearance, and reporter and gold medalist Dain Blanton in his second NBC Olympics appearance.

VOLLEYBALL:  Paul Sunderland, a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. volleyball team at the 1984 Olympics, returns to call indoor volleyball, a role he’s held for NBC Olympics in Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Beijing, London, and Rio. Kenny Albert will split play-by-play duties with Sunderland. They are joined by analysts Kevin Barnett, a two-time Olympian in his fourth Olympic assignment, and Amy Gant, as well as reporter Heather Cox.

BASKETBALL:  Bob Fitzgerald, the play-by-play voice of the Golden State Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area since 1997, works his fifth Olympics and second for NBC Olympics handling basketball play-by-play. Kate Scott will also handle play-by-play in her NBC Olympics debut.

First-time NBC Olympic basketball analysts in Tokyo this summer include Vince Carter, an eight-time NBA All-Star who played a record 22 NBA seasons, Kara Lawson, the head coach of the Duke University women’s basketball team, and Candace Parker, a two-time WNBA MVP and two-time college player of year. Zora Stephenson, who joins NBC Sports this summer, also makes her NBC Olympics debut in Tokyo, serving as a basketball reporter.

Fran Fraschilla returns to NBC Olympics’ basketball coverage as an analyst, reprising his role from the 2016 Rio Olympics, while fellow analyst Monica McNutt, a studio analyst for women’s basketball for ACC Network since 2019, makes her NBC Olympics debut this summer.

GOLF: NBC Olympics will utilize nearly 15 play-by-play commentators, analysts, on-course reporters, and hosts to cover the Olympic golf tournaments, including six commentators who will make their NBC Olympics debuts. Leading coverage on-site in Tokyo are play-by-play commentator Rich Lerner in his NBC Olympics play-by-play debut, analysts Justin Leonard and Paige Mackenzie in their Olympic debuts, tower announcer David Feherty in his third overall NBC Olympics assignment, on-course reporters Jim “Bones” Mackay (first Olympic assignment) and Kay Cockerill (third Olympic assignment), host/reporter Todd Lewis reprising his role from the 2016 Rio Games and reporter Steve Sands in his fourth overall Olympic assignment and second covering golf.

Leading coverage based from NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., will be play-by-play commentator and host Shane Bacon (NBC Olympics debut), analyst Paul Azinger (NBC Olympics debut), tower announcers Tom Abbott (second Olympics assignment) and Karen Stupples (second Olympics assignment), and studio host Anna Whiteley (NBC Olympics debut).

SOCCER: NBC Sports Group’s lead Premier League play-by-play announcer Arlo White returns to the Olympics to call Team USA women’s soccer, as well as the women’s gold medal match and men’s gold medal match, in Tokyo, alongside two-time Olympic gold medalist Julie Foudy as analyst, and Marisa Pilla as reporter. Foudy worked as an NBC Olympics reporter at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games, while Pilla makes her NBC Olympics debut.

Handling soccer play-by-play from NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., will be Lisa Byington, Mark Followill, Jenn Hildreth, and Derek Rae.

Soccer analysts based in NBC Sports’ International Broadcast Center in Stamford include Robbie Earle, Robbie Mustoe, Tim Howard, Angela Hucles, Lori Lindsey, and Danielle Slaton.

BOXING:  Play-by-play voice Kenny Rice returns to call boxing after making his Olympic debut with NBC Sports as a boxing reporter at the 2004 Athens Games. He will be joined by analyst Shawn Porter, a former two-time welterweight champion, in his NBC Olympics debut.

WRESTLING: Jason Knapp will serve as the wrestling play-by-play announcer for the third time. John Smith, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion, returns for his second NBC Olympics assignment after debuting as an analyst in Rio. Four-time world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs makes his NBC Olympics debut as a studio analyst.

BASEBALL & SOFTBALL: Baseball and softball return to the Olympics for the first time since 2008. Jason Benetti makes his NBC Olympics debut handling baseball play-by-play, alongside analyst Eduardo Perez (first NBC Olympics assignment). Beth Mowins, who has called 27 Women’s College World Series in softball, makes her NBC Olympics debut handling play-by-play of the sport, alongside analyst Michele Smith, a two-time U.S. Olympic softball gold medalist. Jessica Mendoza, who won a gold and silver medal in softball for the U.S., will report on-site for softball.

NEW SPORTS: Sport climbing, karate, surfing and 3×3 basketball make their Olympic debuts this summer in Tokyo. Commentators making their NBC Olympics debuts on these sports include Noah Eagle (play-by-play, 3×3 basketball) Meagan Martin (analyst, sport climbing), Kyle Montgomery (analyst, 3×3 basketball), Sherman Nelson (analyst, karate), Kelly Slater (analyst, surfing), and Joe Turpel (play-by-play, surfing).

SPORT-BY-SPORT RUNDOWN:

ARCHERY:

Rick McKinney, Analyst*

 

ARTISTIC SWIMMING:

Heather Olson, Analyst*

 

BADMINTON:

Jim Kozimor, Play-by-Play*

Steve Kearney, Analyst*

 

BASEBALL:

Jason Benetti, Play-by-Play*

Eduardo Perez, Analyst*

 

BASKETBALL:

Bob Fitzgerald, Play-by-Play

Vince Carter, Analyst (Men’s)

Kara Lawson, Analyst (Women’s)

Candace Parker, Analyst

Zora Stephenson, Reporter

Kate Scott, Play-by-Play*

Fran Fraschilla, Analyst (Men’s)*

Monica McNutt, Analyst (Women’s)*

 

3×3 BASKETBALL:

Noah Eagle, Play-by-Play*

Kyle Montgomery, Analyst*

 

BEACH VOLLEYBALL:

Chris Marlowe, Play-by-Play

Kevin Wong, Analyst

Dain Blanton, Reporter

Kenny Albert, Play-by-Play*

Amy Gant, Analyst*

 

BOXING:     

Kenny Rice, Play-by-Play*

Shawn Porter, Analyst*

 

CANOEING (Flat Water):

Brendan Burke, Play-by-Play*

Eric Giddens, Analyst*

 

CANOEING (White Water):

Eric Giddens, Analyst*

 

CYCLING:

Steve Schlanger, Play-by-Play*

Bob Roll, Analyst*

Christian Vande Velde, Analyst*

Todd Harris, Play-by-Play (BMX)

Chris Doyle, Analyst (BMX)

Steve Porino, Reporter

 

DIVING:

Ted Robinson, Play-by-Play*

Cynthia Potter, Analyst*

Kelli Stavast, Reporter

 

EQUESTRIAN:

Randy Moss, Play-by-Play*

Melanie Smith-Taylor, Analyst*

 

FENCING:

Ibti Muhammad, Analyst*

 

FIELD HOCKEY:

Courtney Lyle, Play-by-Play*

AJ Mleczko, Analyst*

 

GOLF:

Rich Lerner, Play-by-Play

Steve Sands, Play-by-Play & Reporter

Justin Leonard, 18th Tower (Men’s)

Paige Mackenzie, 18th Tower (Women’s)

David Feherty, Tower

Kay Cockerill, On-course Reporter

Jim “Bones” Mackay, On-course Reporter

Todd Lewis, Studio Host

Shane Bacon, Play-by-Play & Studio Host*

Paul Azinger, 18th Tower (Men’s)*

Karen Stupples, Tower*

Tom Abbott, Tower*

Anna Whiteley, Studio Host*

 

GYMNASTICS:

Terry Gannon, Play-by-Play

Tim Daggett, Analyst

Nastia Liukin, Analyst

Andrea Joyce, Reporter

 

GYMNASTICS (Peacock):

John Roethlisberger, Play-by-Play*

Bridget Sloan, Analyst*

 

HANDBALL:

Matt Winer, Play-by-Play*

Dawn Lewis, Analyst*

 

INDOOR VOLLEYBALL:

Paul Sunderland, Play-by-Play

Kevin Barnett, Analyst

Heather Cox, Reporter

Kenny Albert, Play-by-Play*

Amy Gant, Analyst*

 

JUDO:

Leo White, Analyst*

 

KARATE:

Sherman Nelson, Analyst*

 

MODERN PENTATHLON:

Eli Bremer, Analyst*

 

OPEN WATER SWIMMING:

Mary Carillo, Play-by-play

Rowdy Gaines, Analyst

 

RACE WALKING:

Tom Feuer, Analyst*

 

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS:                   

Andrea Joyce, Play-by-play

Nastia Liukin, Analyst

 

ROWING:

Brendan Burke, Play-by-Play*

Lindsay Shoop, Analyst*

 

RUGBY:

Rupert Cox, Play-by-Play**

Brian Hightower, Analyst (Men’s)*

Phaidra Knight, Reporter (Women’s)*

 

SAILING:

Gary Jobson, Play-by-Play*

 

SHOOTING:

Shari LeGate, Analyst*

 

SKATEBOARDING:

Todd Harris, Play-by-Play

Paul Zitzer, Analyst

 

SOCCER:

Arlo White, Play-by-Play

Julie Foudy, Analyst (Women’s)

Marissa Pilla, Reporter

Lisa Byington, Play-by-Play*

Robbie Earle, Analyst (Men’s)*

Mark Followill, Play-by-Play*

Jenn Hildreth, Play-by-Play*

Tim Howard, Analyst (Men’s)*

Angela Hucles, Analyst (Women’s)*

Lori Lindsey, Analyst (Women’s)*

Robbie Mustoe, Analyst (Men’s)*

Derek Rae, Play-by-Play*

Danielle Slaton, Analyst (Women’s)*

 

SOFTBALL:

Beth Mowins, Play-by-Play*

Michele Smith, Analyst*

Jessica Mendoza, Reporter

 

SPORT CLIMBING:

Meagan Martin, Analyst*

 

SURFING:

Joe Turpel, Play-by-Play*

Kelly Slater, Analyst*

 

SWIMMING:           

Dan Hicks, Play-by-Play

Rowdy Gaines, Analyst

Elizabeth Beisel, Analyst

Michele Tafoya, Reporter

Patrick Kinas, Play-by-Play*

Amy Van Dyken, Analyst*

 

TABLE TENNIS:

Chris Lewis, Play-by-Play*

Sean O’Neill, Analyst*

 

TAEKWONDO:

Sherman Nelson, Analyst*

 

TENNIS:

Mary Carillo, Play-by-Play

Ryan Burr, Play-by-Play*

Jason Knapp, Play-by-Play*

Darren Cahill, Analyst*

Chanda Rubin, Analyst*

Brad Gilbert, Analyst*

Rennae Stubbs, Studio Analyst*

Trenni Kusnierek, Reporter

 

TRACK & FIELD:

Leigh Diffey, Play-by-Play

Paul Swangard, Play-by-Play (field events)

Ato Boldon, Analyst

Kara Goucher, Analyst (distance)

Trey Hardee, Analyst (field events)

Sanya Richards-Ross, Analyst

Lewis Johnson , Reporter                   

Bill Spaulding, Play-by-Play, Peacock and USA Network*

Alysia Montano, Analyst (sprint), Peacock and USA Network*

Tim Hutchings, Analyst (distance), Peacock and USA Network**

 

TRIATHLON:

Steve Schlanger, Play-by-Play*

Julie Swail, Analyst*

Steve Porino, Reporter

 

WATER POLO:

Paul Burmeister, Play-by-Play*

Julie Swail, Analyst*

Tony Azevedo, Analyst*

 

WEIGHTLIFTING:

Ed Cohen, Play-by-Play*

Cheryl Haworth, Analyst*

WRESTLING:

Jason Knapp, Play-by-Play*

John Smith, Analyst*

Jordan Burroughs, Studio Analyst*

 

PLAY-BY-PLAY (MULTIPLE SPORTS):

Jack Benjamin*

Krista Blunk*

Bill Doleman*

Chris Vosters*

 

HOSTS, CORRESPONDENTS, AND REPORTERS: 

PRIMETIME HOST:

Mike Tirico, NBC

 

OPENING CEREMONY:

Savannah Guthrie, NBC

Mike Tirico, NBC

 

DAYTIME HOST:

Rebecca Lowe, NBC

 

USA NETWORK, CNBC, NBCSN, AND OLYMPIC CHANNEL: HOME OF TEAM USA HOSTS:

Ahmed Fareed, USA Network*

Liam McHugh, USA Network*

Kathryn Tappen, USA Network

Shepard Smith, CNBC*

Carl Quintanilla, CNBC*

Meghan Triplett, CNBC*

Cara Banks, NBCSN*

Damon Hack, NBCSN*

Carolyn Manno, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA*

Tessa Bonhomme, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA*

 

CORRESPONDENTS:

Mary Carillo

Tony Hawk

Steve Kornacki

Tara Lipinski

Jimmy Roberts

Johnny Weir

 

REPORTERS:

Sam Brock

Kerith Burke

Tina Dixon

Naoko Funayama

Gus Kenworthy

Selema Masekela

Jessica Mendoza

Natalie Morales

Apolo Ohno

Corey Robinson

Anne Thompson

Dr. John Torres

Tanith White

Rutledge Wood

 

NBC SPORTS DIGITAL:

Alexa Shaw (Update Desk)*

Adam Rippon, Host (Twitter)

LaChina Robinson (Twitter)

Jacques Slade (Snapchat)

Elizabeth Beisel (Host)

Lauren Shehadi (Host)

 

PEACOCK:

MJ Acosta-Ruiz (Host)*

Cari Champion (Host)*

Jac Collinsworth (Contributor)

Lindsay Czarniak (Host)*

Rich Eisen (Host)*

Akbar Gbajabiamila (Host)

Laurie Hernandez (Gymnastics Studio Analyst)

Matt Iseman (Host)

Lolo Jones (Host)*

Kenny Mayne (Host)*

John Roethlisberger (Gymnastics Play-by-Play)*

Amber Ruffin (Peacock & NBCUniversal Platforms)

Bridget Sloan (Gymnastics Analyst)*

 

*Denotes announcer based at NBC Sports Group’s International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., Telemundo Center in Miami, CNBC Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., or 30 Rockefeller Center in New York.

** Denotes announcer based at Sky Sports in U.K.

 

For a complete archive of Tokyo Olympics press releases, click here.

 

 

About NBC Olympics

A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Olympic Games. NBC Olympics is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights on all platforms to all Olympic Games through 2032. NBC Olympics also produces thousands of hours of Olympic sports programming throughout the year, which is presented on NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, Peacock and NBC Sports digital platforms.

–NBC Olympics–