'Disappointed' NBC Sports, IOC Look to Make Spectator-Less Tokyo Games a Must-Watch

Partners adjust to fan ban just two weeks before opening ceremony

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Thursday’s ban of all in-person spectators at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics cast a pall over NBCUniversal’s 7,000-hour coverage plans for the Games. But the broadcaster and organizers of the Summer Olympics, which begin in two weeks, are looking for ways to bring fans back into stadiums and competition venues digitally to retain some of the excitement that comes from having fans in the stands.  

For NBCUniversal, the approach to the production challenge will be informed by the last year of learnings from other sports programming that had limited spectators due to Covid-19.

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