According to Brazilian newspaper Agora São Paulo, NBC, which holds the broadcasting rights for the Olympic Games in the United States, is requesting a rather significant change to the 2016 Games opening ceremony. NBC has reportedly asked the Rio Organizing Committee to change the order of the ‘Parade of Nations’ (i.e., the introduction of each participating nation) so that America appears later in the broadcast.
As the United States begins with the letter ‘E’ in Portuguese (Estados Unidos), the nation is currently set to be presented more towards the beginning of the ceremony. The Brazilian news source cites as NBC’s concern, however, that the U.S. being introduced so early would result in too much of a drop in the television audience tuned in to the Opening Ceremony.
As such, NBC is requesting that the U.S. be moved toward the end of the parade, via nations being introduced using English as the determinant language, instead of Brazil’s Portuguese. However, the Rio Organizing Committee is reportedly resisting the request for change and is instead wanting to respect the Parade of Nations order as established via the Portuguese language.
SwimSwam has reached out to NBC for comment, but has not yet received a response.
NBC has already come under fire for being named as the primary driver for the swimming events’ late start times. To accommodate American broadcasting, the swimming finals will begin at 10pm local time, meaning competing athletes may not wind up back at the Athlete Village until approximately 2am or 3am local.
Call out NBC for this Bull$!@# move.
That is really crazy! 😯 😯
Hopefully Brazil resists!
Swimming finals insanely in the morning in Beijing that was not enough?
Swimming finals at the insane time of 10 PM in Rio that’s not enough?
Stop to that dictatorship of money!
In a normal world NBC should have nothing to say about olympic games outside of USA.
That’s capitalism at its worst.
No respect for the athletes first and now no respect for Brazil. Totally insane!
And then you wonder why the US bid for 2024 will lose once again. 😆
BoBo, that won’t be the reason the US won’t get 2024. It’s very clear that the IOC chooses its host cities two ways: 1- bribery, 2 – political reasons. How else can you explain the last several host cities, winter and summer? Beijing (terrible human rights record, no snow!)
The USOC has noticed that the IOC chooses for political reasons, that’s why they have preferred subpar bids lately. Chicago – chosen because it was Obama’s hometown. Boston – chosen because of the marathon bombing.
With that said Paris has it locked up.
When are the half nekkid dancers scheduled for?
Remember 2008 in China? Finals in the AM?
Just once, it would be nice if the athlete’s needs were a priority. Returning to the Athlete’s village at 2 or 3 AM is not acceptable. I thought Rio was on the same time zone of Eastern U.S.?
Luckily The Olympics are wholly incorruptible, so NBC will never get their way…
ARROGANCE.
I would like the countries to be decided randomly by lot the order they march- then each Olympic Parade is unique, and countries enter and mingle randomly..also it means the same countries (like my Australia) aren’t always up the front, or the US always at the back.
If they really want to have the US come in last, they can always edit the feed. Go to commercial right as the US comes in and then replay them coming in later in the broadcast.