Commentator Roster of 18 to Anchor Record 1,200 Hours of Paralympic Programming and First-Ever Primetime Coverage on NBC
Ahmed Fareed and Carolyn Manno to Host NBCU’s Paralympic Games Coverage
Paralympic Gold Medalists Michelle Konkoly, Mark Zupan and Kari Miller to Make On-Air Debuts as Analysts
NBC News’ TODAY Celebrated 100 Days Until Tokyo Paralympics This Morning
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 17, 2021 – With just under 100 days until the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, NBCUniversal announced the 18 commentators who will anchor its record 1,200 hours of coverage this summer from August 24-September 5, 2021. NBCUniversal’s Paralympic Games coverage, which will once again be presented by Toyota, will include more than 200 hours of television programming across NBC, NBCSN and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA and the first-ever primetime hours on NBC, as well as 1,000+ hours of streaming coverage.
Ahmed Fareed and Carolyn Manno will serve as hosts of NBCU’s Paralympics coverage. Fareed will make his Paralympics debut this summer while Manno reprises her hosting role for the fifth consecutive Games. Fareed and Manno will be joined by 14 play-by-play commentators, analysts and reporters. In total, Team NBC has won a total of 30 Paralympic medals.
Three Paralympians will make their debut as analysts. Two-time Paralympic swimming gold medalist Michelle Konkoly will join play-by-play commentator Todd Harris, who returns for his fourth straight Paralympic Games, on swimming. 2008 Paralympic gold medalist Mark Zupan will serve as wheelchair rugby analyst with play-by-play voice Ed Cohen, while 2016 sitting volleyball Paralympic gold medalist Kari Miller will join Tanith White as an analyst for sitting volleyball.
13-time Paralympic medalist and Paralympic Hall of Fame member Chris Waddell (track & field), as well as two-time Paralympic medalist Paul Schulte (wheelchair basketball), return as analysts in their respective sports.
Lewis Johnson returns for his fifth consecutive Paralympics assignment as an on-site reporter for track & field. Six-time Paralympic medalist Alana Nichols (wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby) will make her debut as an on-site reporter in Tokyo, while Heather Cox (swimming) returns as a reporter for her second consecutive Paralympic Summer Games.
Bill Spaulding (track & field), Krista Blunk (wheelchair basketball), and Tanith White (sitting volleyball) make their play-by-play Paralympic debuts this summer. Ed Cohen returns as the play-by-play commentator for wheelchair rugby. NBC Sports host and reporter Corey Robinson will make his Paralympic Games debut as a studio contributor.
100 DAYS UNTIL THE PARALYMPICS
NBC News’ TODAY celebrated 100 days until the Tokyo Paralympics this morning with an appearance by 2016 triathlon Paralympic bronze medalist and Team Toyota athlete Melissa Stockwell. Tonight, 2016 sitting volleyball Paralympic gold medalist Nicky Nieves will be featured on Nightly News with Lester Holt as part of Holt’s “Across America” week. Access Hollywood will also exclusively present a new Paralympics and This Is Us promotion which tells the story of 17-time Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden, voiced by Chris Sullivan.
To further support the Paralympic Movement and in partnership with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Toyota announced a first-of-its-kind program offering up to $5 million in monetary support and sponsorship opportunities that will directly impact the lives of eligible U.S. Paralympic athletes aiming to compete at the Tokyo and Beijing Paralympic Games. To learn more, click here.
In association with Toyota’s announcement, Corey Robinson hosted the “Dreams In Motion” virtual panel to discuss inclusivity and equality in adaptive sport and the impact that Toyota will have leading into Tokyo and Beijing with three Team USA and Team Toyota athletes: eight-time Paralympic medalist and two-time Paralympic gold medalist Oksana Masters, a multi-sport athlete who will compete in cycling in Tokyo; 2016 Paralympic gold medalist David Brown (track & field); and two-time Paralympic gold medalist Rico Roman (sled hockey). The panel can be viewed here.
NBC Sports’ Jimmy Roberts interviewed International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons to discuss the Paralympic movement and the preparations that the IPC is undertaking ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games. The conversation is available here.
SPORT-BY-SPORT RUNDOWN:
SWIMMING:
Todd Harris, Play-by-Play
Michelle Konkoly, Analyst
Heather Cox, Reporter
TRACK & FIELD:
Bill Spaulding, Play-by-Play
Chris Waddell, Analyst
Scout Bassett, Analyst
Patty Collins, Triathlon Analyst
Lewis Johnson, Reporter
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL:
Krista Blunk, Play-by-Play
Paul Schulte, Analyst
Alana Nichols, Reporter
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY:
Ed Cohen, Play-by-Play
Mark Zupan, Analyst
Alana Nichols, Reporter
SITTING VOLLEYBALL:
Tanith White, Play-by-Play
Kari Miller, Analyst
STUDIO CONTRIBUTOR:
Corey Robinson
NBCUniversal’s record programming of the Tokyo Paralympics will include more than 200 hours of television coverage across NBC, NBCSN and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA; the first-ever primetime hours on NBC; the debut of coverage on NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock; live coverage of the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony on NBCSN; and comprehensive live streaming coverage on NBC Sports digital platforms. Click here for more information about programming details.
As part of a robust plan for coverage and promotion leading up to Tokyo this August, NBC will air the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials competition on June 27. Additional Paralympic Team Trials programming details will be announced soon.
--TOKYO PARALYMPICS--