Steven Spielberg Special Film Leads Off Opening Ceremony Primetime Show, Which Features Extended Interviews with Team USA, New Elements, and Other Surprises
“I love seeing moments made…We didn’t get to experience any of this in 2021, so this is a moment I want to enjoy. L.A. [2028] is not promised so take it in now.” – Team USA track & field athlete Noah Lyles
“You hear about that tunnel before a football or basketball game, but I’d argue this is the coolest tunnel of all time. Being on a boat on the River Seine, headed toward the Eiffel Tower, to start the Olympics? I don’t know how you beat that.” – NBC Olympics Opening Ceremony Co-Host Peyton Manning
“An extraordinarily ambitious concept that...raised the stakes for a potentially unforgettable night to start these Olympic Games.” – NBC Olympics Primetime Host Mike Tirico
“To have that moment. She’s a vocal athlete. She’s incredible.” – Kelly Clarkson on Celine Dion’s Performance
Most Up-to-Date Olympic TV Listings on NBCOlympics.com
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 26, 2024 – NBCUniversal will showcase the unprecedented spectacle of the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics with its primetime presentation tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, featuring extended interviews with Team USA and new elements, as well as Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg’s opening film, “Land of Stories,” and other surprises.
Emmy Award-winning talk show host and Grammy Award-winning artist Kelly Clarkson and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning join two-time Sports Emmy Award-winner and NBC Olympics primetime host Mike Tirico in hosting the Opening Ceremony, while TODAY Show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb as well as NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor and Snoop Dogg conduct interviews and provide commentary along the route. Melissa Stark conducts interviews on the red carpet.
Tonight’s presentation also includes performances from Grammy Award-winning artists Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.
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Following are highlights from today’s coverage of the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on NBC and Peacock:
Mike Tirico: “It is 6 p.m. [Paris time] in the City of Light on this Friday evening, the perfect setting for a spectacle as anticipated and audacious as any in the long history of this world capital. It is the opening night of the Paris Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. It will not look like any Opening Ceremony of years past. Forget just a stadium, forget what you’ve seen before – this Ceremony is being staged all across Paris and along the Seine River, which runs through its heart…An extraordinarily ambitious concept by the organizers that has raised the degree of difficulty but also raised the stakes for a potentially unforgettable night to start these Olympic Games.”
Peyton Manning on the athletes’ experience at the Opening Ceremony along the River Seine: “It’s great to see these athletes taking it all in, every moment of this boat ride. It’s something they’ll always remember. It’s unlike any pregame moment I’ve ever been a part of. You hear about that tunnel before a football or basketball game, but I’d argue this is the coolest tunnel of all time. Being on a boat on the River Seine, headed toward the Eiffel Tower, to start the Olympics? I don’t know how you beat that.”
Noah Lyles to Maria Taylor on Team USA’s boat: “I love seeing moments made. That’s what I like to do as a performer and just seeing all the Olympians, knowing how much care and hard work went into this. We didn’t get to experience any of this in 2021, so this is a moment I want to enjoy. L.A. [2028] is not promised so take it in now.”
Kelly Clarkson on Celine Dion’s performance: “To have that moment. She’s a vocal athlete. She’s incredible…In my field, she is the gold [medal] winner for vocal athletes.”
Tirico closing the Opening Ceremony: “The Opening Ceremony has gotten this thing off to a flying start. The 2024 Games promised unique, promised different, and the beginning has been just that, and with the Opening Ceremony behind us and the Games officially open, we’re now turning our attention to a blockbuster opening weekend of these Paris Olympics.”
Manning as Opening Ceremony concludes: “You can see the emotion on their faces and how much pride they have in representing their country. I went to the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 as a college student, never got to participate as an American football player, always wanted to, so to be a small part of the Opening Ceremony here in Paris has been a great thrill for me.”
Savannah Guthrie on Paris: “Absolutely beautiful. Paris in any weather still beats just about anywhere in the world.”
Manning on the emotions of the Opening Ceremony: “It’s such an emotional moment. For many of the athletes, just the fact that they’re here tonight makes this moment even more special. They truly are Olympians; this moment solidifies that. They can share this moment with their friends and family, unlike past Olympics where friends and family weren’t allowed.”
Manning on the energy of the ceremony: “It’s got a little Mardi Gras feeling to it…It’s a party on the Seine. People are having a good time… I just love how fired up all the athletes are. The rain’s not doing one thing to them.”
LeBron James to Taylor on being a Team USA flagbearer: “It’s an honor. It goes back all the way to my hometown and all of our communities. For myself and Coco (Gauff), for us to be able to represent our countries, us being Black kids as well and represent our culture and where we come from, it gives everybody so much hope and that’s all we can ask for. We take it with the utmost responsibility and honor.”
Coco Gauff on being a Team USA flagbearer: “It means a lot to me to be here and represent Team USA and be with the GOAT, LeBron James. I’m so excited and can’t wait to do well in the Games.”
Stephen Curry to Taylor on being a first-time Olympian: “To be here and experience it for myself, I’m a true fan out here. No matter what you experience in your career, there’s something very humbling about it. The gratitude flows when you know you’re an Olympic athlete and being on this boat with the rest of the American athletes. I’m excited to be here.”
Manning on the rainy weather: “I just love how the athletes are having a great time. The rain is not dampening their spirits. I played in a Super Bowl in the rain. It’s not how you see it in your dreams, but it doesn’t take away from the moment. They’re all having a great time and they also have to go out and perform in the Olympics starting tomorrow. The balance of those emotions, that’s impressive to see.”
Manning on Irish golfer Shane Lowry: “This is Irish golf weather right here. I promise you Shane is feeling right at home. He’s definitely got a cold beverage on that boat somewhere.”
Clarkson on the fashion runway: “Everyone is included at this table. It doesn’t matter who you are. They represent all ages, all ethnicities, everything is represented on that runway, and I think that’s so important that Paris did that.”
Manning reacting to the Canadian soccer team using a drone to watch opposition practice: “A little ‘Spygate’ in soccer in the Olympics.”
Manning on wearing a quarterback wristband for the Opening Ceremony: “I have notes on all 200 countries, all 10,000 athletes.” Tirico: “That’s just Peyton Manning being Peyton Manning.”
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ABOUT NBC OLYMPICS
The NBC broadcast network and streaming service Peacock will be the company’s primary platforms for its coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, scheduled for July 26-Aug. 11. NBCU owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2032, which are scheduled for Paris (2024), Milan Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028) and Brisbane (2032). The host city for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games has not yet been chosen.
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