NBCU to Debut Commercial-Free Hour During Olympic Opening Ceremony

For the first time, Olympics fans will experience an hour of the Opening Ceremony without commercials.

Today, NBCUniversal announced that its live coverage of the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which kicks off Friday, July 26, on NBC and Peacock, will include an uninterrupted hour beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.

The commercial-free hour will be sponsored by six Team USA partners, including the Coca-Cola Company, Delta, Eli Lilly and Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, Visa and Xfinity Partner. Each brand logo will be shown on screen and rotated throughout the hour in 10-minute intervals.

“We are proud to partner with these six Team USA partners to bring fans the first-ever commercial-free hour of coverage for an Opening Ceremony,” Dan Lovinger, president of Olympic and Paralympic partnerships at NBCUniversal, said in a statement. “The Opening Ceremony will be packed with emotion and evoke a profound sense of unity for everyone watching. Running commercial-free will help to amplify this grand spectacle.”  

Regarding the sponsors, Coca-Cola’s Robin Triplett, vp of integrated marketing at Coca-Cola North America, said being part of the Opening Ceremony is a “tremendous opportunity.”

“We’re proud of our 96-year-long relationship with the Olympic Movement and look forward to bringing our portfolio of brands to fans throughout the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” Triplett said.

NBCU has previously experimented with commercial-free coverage before, presenting the first ad-free NFL fourth quarter on Peacock for a matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers in 2023. It was a 40% reduction in the standard NFL ad load.

Regarding ad sales, NBCU previously stated it was on pace to pass its record for Olympic advertising, securing $1.2 billion in commitments as early as April. The company noted that more than $350 million of this year’s $1.2 billion comes from new advertisers.

Additionally, the company has added programmatic inventory through its 5,000 hours of coverage on Peacock, allowing more advertisers to get in the games.

The Opening Ceremony coverage will be hosted by NBC Olympics primetime host Mike Tirico, musician and talk show host Kelly Clarkson and Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning. NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor will also be featured on the Team USA boat, while Today Show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb will cover the ceremony along the route.