NBCUniversal is the official U.S. rightsholder of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, thus other networks aiming to cover the action, such as ESPN, are under video usage restrictions. These limitations begin on July 24, two days before the Opening Ceremony, and continue through the conclusion of the games through August 11.
Some of these restrictions include delays on when highlights can be aired, limiting how many highlights can be shown and restrictions on direct interviews of U.S. or International athletes directly. While the two companies discuss opportunities for ESPN to provide its viewers with complete coverage of the games, particularly on editions of SportsCenter, the network is still limited in what it can air before the conclusion of the NBC prime-time telecast each night. Moreover, ESPN is not able to present Olympic highlights on its digital platforms in the United States under these restrictions.
Despite these limitations, ESPN will still aim to provide comprehensive coverage of the Olympic Games with a team of 10 on-site reporters heading to Paris, France for the events. Sam Borden will cover men’s and women’s soccer while Coley Harvey will be assigned to track and field. D’Arcy Maine will be assigned to swimming and tennis, Alyssa Roenigk will be following gymnastics, action sports and breaking news, and Brian Windhorst is slated to cover men’s and women’s basketball.
Emily Kaplan will provide daily news and features, Connor O’Halloran will focus on international news and features and Jeremy Schaap is covering news and features for television. William C. Rohden and Marc Spears are both assigned to news and features for the Andscape vertical.
Ahead of the Olympic Games, ESPN’s website provided international coverage through both the trials and exhibition games leading up to the beginning of the Olympics. The platform has plans to disseminate daily news, features and reported trend stories for all days of the competition. Both the website and mobile app will also include scoreboards, medal counts, and additional statistics updated in real time.
ESPN International news platforms will have 15 reporters who are on location in France that will provide coverage for viewers in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Editions of SportsCenter on ESPN will report on these results and present information and features as well while also airing video from the games under video usage restrictions. ESPN shares a television reporting location in Paris with ABC News that overlooks the Eiffel Tower.
