With very little in the way of live sports going on around the world right now, sporting networks are scrambling to produce any content that will engage or re-engage a thirsty audience.
For NBC Sports, that has included digging into their vaults to play re-broadcasts of old Olympic Games footage.
NBC has been the sole American broadcaster of the Summer Olympics since 1988, though they also telecasted the 1980 and 1964 Games in-and-among runs by ABC and CBS. The network now pushes the events across its full channel of networks, including the Olympic Channel, Bravo, USA, Oxygen, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes, Golf Channel, CNBC, MSNBC, and NBC Sports Network.
That means thousands of hours of archived footage that many of us haven’t seen since they aired live.
The opening night of Olympic Games Week will begin on Monday at 7 Eastern Time with a Best of Team USA segment that will feature the top athletes from the 2016 Rio Games, including swimmers Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel, and Ryan Lochte. The event will run for 2 weeks until April 27th.
The week-long coverage will focus on sports where American teams have excelled (NBC Sports does, after all, reach a primarily American audience) including gymnastics, basketball, women’s soccer, track & field, beach volleyball, diving, water polo, and swimming.
The schedule will include an all-aquatics day on April 17th (Friday), with diving, water polo, and swimming.
NBCSN Olympic Games Week TV Schedule – Aquatics Only
Shows that will be entirely, or in part, about aquatic sports.
| Date | Time (ET) | Program | Events |
| April 13 | 7 p.m. | Return to Rio | Best of Team USA |
| April 14 | 10 p.m. | Return to Rio | Michael Phelps |
| April 15 | 7 p.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Swimming |
| 9 p.m. | Return to Rio | Men’s Swimming | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Diving | |
| April 16 | 12 a.m. | Return to Rio | Men’s Diving |
| 2 a.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Water Polo Final | |
| April 17 | 12 a.m. | Return to London | Men’s Diving |
| 1 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Diving | |
| 2 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Water Polo Final | |
| 8 p.m. | Return to London | Women’s Swimming | |
| 10 p.m. | Return to London | Men’s Swimming | |
| April 18 | — | — | — |
| April 19 | — | — | — |
| April 20 | 1 a.m. | Olympic Films | London 2012 |
| 8:30 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Michael Phelps | |
| April 21 | 1 a.m. | Return to Beijing | Michael Phelps |
| 2:30 a.m. | Return to Beijing | Beijing Olympic Stories | |
| April 22 | — | — | — |
| April 23 | — | — | — |
| April 24 | — | — | — |
| April 25 | — | — | — |
| April 26 | 10:30 p.m. | Olympic Films | 1968 documentary |
| April 27 | 12 a.m. | Olympic Films | Sydney 2000 |
| 2:30 a.m. | Mary Carillo | Summer Olympic Adventures |
Aquatics Only – different view
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBCSN Olympics Games Week TV Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Program | Events |
| April 13 | 7 p.m. | Return to Rio | Best of Team USA |
| April 14 | 10 p.m. | Return to Rio | Michael Phelps |
| April 15 | 7 p.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Swimming |
| 9 p.m. | Return to Rio | Men’s Swimming | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Diving | |
| April 16 | 12 a.m. | Return to Rio | Men’s Diving |
| 2 a.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Water Polo Final | |
| April 17 | 12 a.m. | Return to London | Men’s Diving |
| 1 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Diving | |
| 2 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Water Polo Final | |
| 8 p.m. | Return to London | Women’s Swimming | |
| 10 p.m. | Return to London | Men’s Swimming | |
| April 18 | — | — | — |
| April 19 | — | — | — |
| April 20 | 1 a.m. | Olympic Films | London 2012 |
| 8:30 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Michael Phelps | |
| April 21 | 1 a.m. | Return to Beijing | Michael Phelps |
| 2:30 a.m. | Return to Beijing | Beijing Olympic Stories | |
| April 22 | — | — | — |
| April 23 | — | — | — |
| April 24 | — | — | — |
| April 25 | — | — | — |
| April 26 | 10:30 p.m. | Olympic Films | 1968 documentary |
| April 27 | 12 a.m. | Olympic Films | Sydney 2000 |
| 2:30 a.m. | Mary Carillo | Summer Olympic Adventures |
NBCSN Olympics Games Week TV Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Program | Events |
| April 13 | 7 p.m. | Return to Rio | Best of Team USA |
| 9 p.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Gymnastics Team Final | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Gymnastics All-Around | |
| April 14 | 1 a.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Road Cycling |
| 7 p.m. | Return to Rio | Track and Field Men’s Sprints | |
| 8 p.m. | Return to Rio | Gymnastics Event Finals | |
| 10 p.m. | Return to Rio | Michael Phelps | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to Rio | Track and Field Women’s Sprints | |
| April 15 | 12 a.m. | Return to Rio | Track and Field Men’s Distance |
| 1 a.m. | Return to Rio | Track and Field Women’s Distance | |
| 2 a.m. | Return to Rio | Track and Field Multi/Field Events | |
| 7 p.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Swimming | |
| 9 p.m. | Return to Rio | Men’s Swimming | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Diving | |
| April 16 | 12 a.m. | Return to Rio | Men’s Diving |
| 1 a.m. | Return to Rio | Men’s Gymnastics Team Final | |
| 2 a.m. | Return to Rio | Women’s Water Polo Final | |
| 7 p.m. | Return to London | Women’s Gymnastics Team Final | |
| 9 p.m. | Return to London | Women’s Gymnastics Finals | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to London | Men’s Gymnastics All-Around | |
| April 17 | 12 a.m. | Return to London | Men’s Diving |
| 1 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Diving | |
| 2 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Water Polo Final | |
| 8 p.m. | Return to London | Women’s Swimming | |
| 10 p.m. | Return to London | Men’s Swimming | |
| April 18 | 12 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Soccer: USA-Canada |
| 2 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Beach Volleyball Final | |
| 10 p.m. | Return to London | Track and Field Men’s Sprints | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to London | Track and Field Women’s Sprints | |
| April 19 | 12 a.m. | Return to London | Women’s Soccer Final |
| 2 a.m. | Return to London | Track and Field Men’s Distance | |
| 10:30 p.m. | Olympic Films | Tokyo 1964 | |
| April 20 | 1 a.m. | Olympic Films | London 2012 |
| 7 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Men’s Beach Volleyball Final | |
| 8:30 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Michael Phelps | |
| 10 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Women’s Beach Volleyball Final | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Men’s Beach Volleyball Final | |
| April 21 | 1 a.m. | Return to Beijing | Michael Phelps |
| 2:30 a.m. | Return to Beijing | Beijing Olympic Stories | |
| 7 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Women’s Gymnastics Team Final | |
| 8:30 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Women’s Gymnastics All-Around | |
| 10:30 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Usain Bolt | |
| 11 p.m. | Return to Beijing | Women’s Soccer Final | |
| April 22 | 2 a.m. | Return to Beijing | Usain Bolt |
| 2:30 a.m. | Return to Beijing | Beijing Olympic Stories | |
| 7 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Men’s Basketball 2008 Final | |
| 9 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Men’s Basketball 1992 Final | |
| 11 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Men’s Basketball 2012 Final | |
| April 23 | 1 a.m. | Olympic Classics | Men’s Basketball 2000 Final |
| 2:30 a.m. | Mary Carillo | Summer Olympic Adventures | |
| 7 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Basketball 1996 Final | |
| 8:30 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Basketball 2000 Final | |
| 10 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Basketball 2004 Final | |
| April 24 | 12 a.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Basketball 2016 Final |
| 2 a.m. | Olympic Films | Jesse Owens and Berlin 1936 | |
| 8 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Gymnastics 1996 Team | |
| 10 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Gymnastics 2004 AA | |
| April 25 | 12 a.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Gymnastics 2008 AA |
| 2 a.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Gymnastics 1988 AA | |
| 8 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Gymnastics 2012 Team | |
| 10 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Gymnastics 2012 AA | |
| 11:30 p.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Gymnastics 2016 AA | |
| April 26 | 1:30 a.m. | Olympic Classics | Women’s Gymnastics 2004 Team |
| 10:30 p.m. | Olympic Films | 1968 documentary | |
| April 27 | 12 a.m. | Olympic Films | Sydney 2000 |
| 2:30 a.m. | Mary Carillo | Summer Olympic Adventures |
Much appreciated, particularly the full list for every sport. Very sharp of NBC to replay that women’s road race from Rio tonight. That was one of the most compelling sporting events I’ve ever watched in my life. NBC obviously realized it because it is the only bicycle racing event on the entire list over the two weeks.
You Americans are lucky to be getting this content now. Us Brits have to wait until July when the normal olympics are on to be getting Olympic coverage from London and Rio. Hopefully worth the wait though.
Frankly, swimming rewatches are not that exciting to me (The same happened with the vintage NCAA basketball stuff they tried playing this past month to fill in the gap). I like this stuff best when it’s live. I want and miss the real thing. 🙁