Simone Biles, LeBron James and Sha’Carri Richardson may have gotten the biggest spotlights before the Olympics began, but Stephen – the pommel horse nerd who helped the U.S Men’s Gymnastics team swing a bronze medal – is likely to get a big boost after the torch is extinguished.
A glasses deal is practically a sure thing. A cameo in the next “Superman” film is a must. And a pharmaceutical ad for any number of eye ailments? Sign him up.
That’s what’s so thrilling about the Olympics. People you’ve never heard of become instant celebrities.
To make sure the “real” celebs aren’t short-changed, the Paris Games (and NBC in particular) have been giving great seats to all sorts of movie and sports stars. Every night there’s a crowd check where folks like Tom Cruise (and ex Nicole Kidman) are in the building.
More than other Olympics, the 2024 games are bent on celebrating the folks in the stands. NBC has its stable of stars serving as commentators (thank you, Colin Jost; thank you, Snoop Dogg), even though they have less to say than the experts who should be calling the sports.
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The opening ceremonies had so many non-French people carrying the torch it was like someone tossed out a sign-up list at Universal studios.
NBC also got plenty of “cross-promotion” for its TV shows, film projects and (in case you didn’t know it was coming this fall) “Wicked,” the movie. Star Cynthia Erivo is practically an official she’s at so many events. As soon as she makes an appearance, an ad for “Wicked” appears. It’s synergy of the highest order.
What really works is the nightly “produced” segments. Because hardcore Olympics fans can watch during the daytime (the drama unfolds in real time), there needs to be something for those who already know the results. That primetime packaging lets you see the key moments and get more than a quick reaction from the participants. Having them in a studio, commenting about the events that transpired is a great way to draw new eyes and reward those who have already seen the results.
More features – particularly on the life athletes lead before and after they compete – would be nice.
No doubt there will be a big piece on Nedoroscik when he goes for individual gold, but a bit more information about the one-trick pony could have helped us understand how important his role was in those final minutes of the men’s competition.
Reaching for his glasses as soon as he finished competing, he was like all of us at home. If we can’t see the scoreboard, we can’t fully appreciate the results.
When we heard his story, we had reason to celebrate and a desire to learn even more.
Anticipation should be the name of NBC’s game. We've got one week left.
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