NBC presses on after rough start in transitional Olympics

NBC Universal persevered after a rough start to the Tokyo Olympics, and was rewarded with the type of picture it treasures on Saturday

NEW YORK -- On the penultimate day of the Tokyo Olympics, NBC Universal got the kind of picture that it pays for: Kevin Durant, draped in the American flag, exulting in the U.S. men's basketball team's gold medal victory over France. The team persevered after losing its first game in Tokyo and so did NBC, pressing on after an admittedly shaky start at a pandemic Olympics that began with more trepidation than anticipation. It was in many ways a transition Olympics for the media company, where the old ways in which America has consumed the Games are fading fast and new ways still taking hold. “They are different, and we have never shied away from that,” said Pete Bevacqua, NBC Sports chairman. “We said this was a different Olympics, necessarily so, but it's still wonderful, it's still great and it's still the best 17 days in sports.”