NBC has named Ryan Seacrest the host of late night coverage for the Rio Olympics.
“The late night atmosphere will be electric,” said Jim Bell, ep of NBC Olympics. “We’re thrilled to have Ryan Seacrest in the middle of it all capturing Rio’s unique flavor, talking to Olympic athletes, and telling the stories of the day.”
“Joining the NBC Olympics team at the 2012 London Games was an exhilarating experience,” said Seacrest. “I can’t wait to reunite with the team of broadcasters and producers for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and I look forward to hosting the live late night show.” NBC also has time on its side, since Rio is only an hour ahead of Eastern Time.
For the 2014 Sochi games, Bob Costas hosted late night as well as prime time (except for the nights he couldn’t). Jim Lampley was late night host for NBC’s coverage of the games in 1992, 1996 and 2006 while Mary Carillo hosted late night in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
Today’s Seacrest news is the only talent announcement being made. So it’s not yet known how Josh Elliott will play in NBC’s coverage. One of the main reasons Elliott left ABC News for NBC Sports last year was because NBC had the rights to the Olympic games. “A profound and essential part of my being has always been to be a part of an Olympics broadcast,” he said at the time.