NBC's Tirico reflects on Tokyo Games, looks ahead to Beijing

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefHollywood financier Starlight Cultural Entertainment and its talent development offshoot Stars Collective have established a partnership with the Beijing Film Academy.It will focus on the incubation, development, packaging, financing, production and distribution of content for a global audience.

NBC, which steadily won primetime over the course of its 2020 Tokyo Olympics coverage, returned to top Tuesday viewership and ratings with America’s Got Talent. The competition show’s two-hour quarterfinals aired to 6.86 million viewers and earned a 0.9 rating int he 18-49 demo, per fast affiliates. America’s Got Talent was the highest-rated and most-watched program on Tuesday evening.

Rebecca Davis editorWith the NBA still on the outs with China and Nike hit with Chinese backlash over Xinjiang, it might seem that “Space Jam: A New Legacy” has two serious fouls against its chances of entering the world’s largest film market.But signs indicate that Beijing may uniquely embrace the “Space Jam” star LeBron James in a way that could actually give the film an assist, despite China’s ongoing spat with the league and James’ lifetime Nike deal.The Malcolm D.

NBC will likely never admit it, but the Comcast-owned network must be so relieved that the Tokyo Olympics are finally over.

As the Tokyo Olympics draw to a close, the gay sporting world will be keeping its eyes firmly on East Asia when the Gay Games 2022 head to Hong Kong next year.As sports fans from across the globe tune into the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the organisers of the 11th Gay Games, scheduled to open in November 2022 in Hong Kong, are hustling to ensure the event runs without a hitch.

Olympics, NBC Universal got the kind of picture that it pays for: Kevin Durant, draped in the American flag, exulting in the U.S.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Ultimate Slip ‘N’ Slide” is officially being flushed from the NBC schedule.The reality competition series paused production back in June following an outbreak of giardia onset. It will not resume production and therefore will not debut on Aug.

Organizers of the Beijing International Film Festival have postponed the event due to increasing Covid cases in China.

Rebecca Davis editorChinese director Lu Chuan will be the lead director of the opening ceremony for the upcoming 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou city, an international sports spectacle taking place months after the Beijing Winter Olympics.Held every four years, the games will occur from Sept. 10 to 25 in the verdant capital of Zhejiang province, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefHighly-anticipated mainland Chinese film “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” which was due to have been released later this month has been postponed to an unspecified date. The move, announced late on Thursday, was caused by a recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases in China.The film is a Korean War epic that is co-directed by Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui and Dante Lam and should have released on Aug.

NBC’s coverage of the Tokyo Olympics saw its second lowest-rated night on Wednesday, bringing in a total of 11.0 million viewers and an average rating of 2.4 in the 18-49 demo, per overnight numbers. Wednesday, which saw a six tenths drop in ratings and a 24% dip in viewer from Tuesday, remains only slightly above lowest-rated and least-watched night thus far Saturday, July 31 (2.3, 10.7M).

Rebecca Davis editorLast month, to fete the 100th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party, China broadcast a propaganda megashow convened at Beijing National Stadium, which was built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Throughout the massive two-hour spectacle, Olympic themes intertwined with political imagery to depict the party as a benevolent, beloved world leader.

NBC’s Tuesday evening coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw Simone Biles, who withdrew from the women’s all-around, return to win a bronze medal on the balance beam. Biles’ return to the podium marked another win for the U.S. team, but failed to bring viewership and ratings to new levels. In overnight ratings, NBC’s evening programing aired to 14.6 million viewers and gained a 3.0 rating in the 18-49 demo.

UPDATED with latest schedule changes: Simone Biles will return to competition early Tuesday after bowing out of five events at the Tokyo Olympics. The Balance Beam finals are Biles’ last shot at an individual gold medal during the Tokyo Games.

UPDATED, 3:52 PM: NBC’s Tokyo Olympics primetime coverage netted around 10.5 million linear viewers on Friday, the smallest audience of the games for the network so far. Over the same night of the Rio Olympics, NBC’s primetime viewership was down 56%.

World class gymnasts including the United States’ very own Suni Lee weren’t the only ones bouncing up Thursday night as NBC’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw a slight increase in viewership and ratings.

All that shines eventually loses its luster over time and viewership for NBC’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is no exception. Wednesday evening continued a downward trend in primetime ratings for the global sporting event on NBC, airing to 12.5 million viewers and earning a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demo, per overnight numbers. Viewership fell 16% in viewers and six tenths in rating from Tuesday (3.5, 14.9M).

Coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on NBC stabilized Tuesday evening airing to 14.9 million viewers and earning a 3.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic in overnight ratings. Tuesday’s viewership stats matched Monday’s, but fell six tenths in ratings from the previous night. With a steadying viewership and despite a dip in ratings, NBC continues to shine in primetime.