NBC Sports moving primetime coverage outside for Tokyo Olympics

The rescheduled Tokyo Summer Olympics will see NBC Sports coverage relocated from the usual International Broadcast Centre studio to a perch with views of the capital of Japan.

Mike Tirico will host the coverage from an outdoor studio located on the fifth floor of a building in the city with views of the famous Rainbow Bridge.

“We are excited to bring the energy of this vibrant host city to our primetime audience each night as Mike opens the show and interviews the stars of the Games from a spectacular vantage point,” said Molly Solomon, EP and president of production at NBC Olympics.

“The chance to use the city as our daily setting will help bring our viewers back in the states even closer to the Olympic experience,” Tirico said.

Of course, the outdoor location will make the complexities of production during a pandemic easier to manage for NBC Sports.

The studio will also integrate augmented reality graphics and a variety of displays with Michael Sheehan leading the project for NBC Olympics.

Bryan Higgason and the team at HD Studio are again designing the studios for the coverage with lighting from The Lighting Design Group and fabrication by blackwalnut. Atila Ozkaplan, VP of production operations, supervised the scenic project.

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The Tokyo Olympics begin on Friday, July 23, 2021.