NBC Sports has stated that it will add 12 Olympic sports events to its existing schedule over the next year having reached agreements with the US Ski & Snowboard Association, USA Track & Field and USA Swimming.
The network is hoping that some of the offerings, most noticeably the young audience of the likes of snowboarding, will help NBC broaden its viewing demographic.
NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol has repeatedly voiced his concern in recent years over the vast rights fees that the major sports franchises are charging and this move towards slightly less mainstream Olympic sports is part of the network's overall strategy in keeping such costs at a minimum.
Following the culmination of this season's NBA play-offs, it will be the first time that NBC has not had coverage of any of the four major US sports franchises (NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL).
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Following the success of its Olympic broadcasts from the Salt Lake City Winter Games this year, US free-to-air network NBC has announced that it is devoting more of its schedule to Olympic sports.
