The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will look a little different this year… but only if you want them to. Not to be overly bossy, but you’re definitely going to want them to with the new whip-around coverage NBCUniversal and Peacock have lined up for consumers this go-around, called Gold Zone.
What is NBC’s Gold Zone coverage?
For NFL fans, it probably sounds familiar, having been coined “Gold Zone” as a riff off of the endlessly popular NFL Red Zone — a Sunday tradition unlike any other. This programming feature, which debuted at the start of the 2009 NFL season, showcases whip-around coverage from each live NFL game, hosted by anchor Scott Hanson.
The magic formula for this type of coverage (and its namesake, of course) is the rotation of screen time based on which teams are entering the “red zone” — the area of the field between the 20-yard line and the goal line more likely to produce a scoring play — and all the big plays occurring throughout the league. Essentially, all of football’s most exciting moments are packaged into one catch-all program for the ultimate nonstop adrenaline rush ping-ponging between the most exciting moments of every game instead of staying in one spot.
That’s exactly what the group at NBC Sports hoped to accomplish with this debut feature in their Olympics coverage. There will be 329 events spanning 32 different sports with a total of 754 sessions (competitions and ceremonies) featuring 10,500 athletes. All of that competition over the span of 19 days? It’s enough to overwhelm even the most seasoned and obsessed Olympics consumer.
Why Gold Zone is the only way to watch the Olympics in 2024
The Summer Olympic Games take place just once every four years, which means that you, the consumer, will need to be pretty strategic if you want to catch all of the action. Not only will you need to map out a schedule prioritizing your favorite competitions, but in the case of overlapping events, you’ll also need to prioritize how you’d like to spend your time.
That, or you’ll need to gather round every television set in your home, log each of them into Peacock or whatever cable provider you’re using to access the NBC live feed, and set them up accordingly.
With Gold Zone, that won’t be the case; that’s the beauty of the programming. Set it and forget it, all on one channel. Whenever something big is about to happen, they will move over to that event.
Just as is the case with NFL Red Zone, Gold Zone will take the very best moments of the 2024 Summer Olympics and package them neatly in a row for the ultimate consumer experience. Gone are the dull moments in between sprint sessions. They’re all teed up, back-to-back-to-back, essentially taking the stress of remote management out of your hands and into the hands of producers.
You can give up the endless Googling of the Paris 2024 schedule. You can give up searching, “What time is it in Paris?” to figure out when your favorite events will be live in your area. It’s all laid out for you.
Have a short attention span? This is the product for you. Consider it something like the “TikTok” of live Olympic coverage, swiping through the most exciting moments and leaving the dull in the dust.
How to watch the Olympics Gold Zone
Dates: July 27 through August 10
When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET daily
Live stream: Peacock for desktop, Peacock App for iOS and Google Play
NBC didn’t just riff off the name of the NFL classic; they stole their hosts, too. Scott Hanson, the long-time host of NFL Red Zone, will headline a three-man host panel for the duration of the Paris Olympics, joined by Andrew Siciliano (himself a former Red Zone host), Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajbiamila every day from July 27 through August 10.
That’s not to say that traditional Olympics coverage is going out the window. What I am saying is that this will be the best (and least stressful) viewing experience you’ve ever had watching the Olympics — and it’s not particularly close.