Yesterday when NBC announced its record 170 commentators for next month’s Rio Olympics, one name that was noticeably absent was Mike Tirico who officially joined the Peacock at the beginning of this month. Well, NBC has released his first three assignments for its Sports Group and one will be a familiar setting, next week’s Open Championship which he called for ESPN/ABC from 1997 through 2015. Following the Open, Tirico will go to Rio to be a daytime host for NBC at the Olympics. Then at the end of the month, TIrico will call two NFL preseason games.
The calling of the NFL games serves two purposes, one to introduce Tirico as one of NBC’s NFL voices and second, to get him familiar with Cris Collinsworth who will be his partner on Thursday Night Football when NBC airs the second half of the package later in the season.
Tirico who received a nice send-off from his ESPN colleagues last week at Euro 2016 will be getting his feet wet with right off the bat as he will not only host the Open Championship for NBC/Golf Channel, but call 1st and 2nd round action, most likely with his old PGA on ABC partner, Sir Nick Faldo who will be involved in Golf Channel’s coverage.
Here’s the official announcement:
MIKE TIRICO DEBUTS WITH NBC SPORTS GROUP IN PROMINENT HOST ROLES AT THE OPEN AND AT THE 2016 RIO OLYMPICS
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 6, 2016 – Mike Tirico, the newest member of NBC Sports Group’s unmatched lineup of commentators, tees up his first network assignments at The 145th Open from Royal Troon in Scotland next week, followed in August by the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tirico makes his NBC Sports Group debut as host of NBC Sports’ live coverage of The Open on Golf Channel and NBC from Thursday, July 14 through Sunday, July 17. NBC and Golf Channel will be providing live coverage from the first tee shot on Thursday to the final putt on Sunday, when the Claret Jug is awarded to the “Champion Golfer of the Year.” The Open marks Golf Channel’s first-ever live coverage of a major championship.
Three weeks later, Tirico will make his Olympics debut as a host of NBC’s daytime coverage, which will originate from Rio’s iconic Copacabana Beach (click here for more information). The Opening Ceremony of the Summer Games is August 5 on NBC, with NBC daytime coverage airing from August 6-21.
In addition, at the end of August, Tirico will handle play-by-play alongside analyst Cris Collinsworth on NBC’s two NFL preseason games – Atlanta vs. Miami (in Orlando) on Thursday, August 25, and Cincinnati at Jacksonville on Sunday, August 28.
“As promised, Mike will contribute to all of our biggest events,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer of NBC Sports. “From Royal Troon to Rio to the NFL, and that’s just the start.”
Tirico’s assignments beyond August 31 will be announced at a later date.
Tirico joins NBC after 25 years at ESPN/ABC (1991-2016), where he established himself as a preeminent broadcaster on properties and events including Monday Night Football, The Open, The Masters, NBA, college football, college basketball, FIFA World Cup, and tennis’ U.S. Open and Wimbledon. He was named the 2010 Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA), an award voted on by his industry peers.
There you have it.
