Courtesy: NBC Sports
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 21, 2024 – Five-time Paralympic medalist Mallory Weggemann will serve as a host for NBCUniversal’s Paris Olympics coverage on CNBC and E!, becoming the first Paralympian to host Olympic coverage for NBCU.
Weggemann, a U.S. Paralympic swimmer, will host alongside Cara Banks, Laura Britt, and Trenni Casey, before attempting to represent Team USA at the 2024 Paralympic Games, beginning August 28.
This will be Weggemann’s third assignment for NBC Sports and first on the Olympics, following the 2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games, where she served as a reporter.
“Still in the midst of a decorated athletic career herself, we’re thrilled to have Mallory – also an accomplished broadcaster — bring her unique perspective to our coverage of the Games,” said Rebecca Chatman, Vice President and Coordinating Producer of NBC Olympics Production.
Weggemann has enjoyed a decorated 15+ year athletic career. In her Paralympic debut at the 2012 London Games, she won gold in the 50m freestyle S8 and bronze in the 4x100m medley relay. She has since competed at both the Rio and Tokyo Paralympics, winning three more medals (two gold) at the latter. Additionally, Weggemann is a 15-time world champion and twice has been named World Disabled Swimmer of the Year (2009, 2010).
This summer, Peacock is set to distribute Watershed, a new documentary co-directed by Weggemann and her husband, Jay Snyder, produced by their company, TFA Group. The film chronicles Weggemann’s training period for the Tokyo Paralympics through the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their journey to parenthood, shining a light on their struggles with infertility and IVF when starting a family. Watershed will be available to stream on Peacock this summer.
“I am beyond grateful for the entire team at NBC Sports for supporting me as I realize two dreams – hosting during an Olympic Games, while simultaneously preparing to compete in the Paralympics. As a new mom, it is important to show my daughter that motherhood is a comma, not a period. As a disabled woman, I am also aware that this moment offers a path forward for others,” said Weggemann. “Far too often, stories of disability are told for us, not by us. That’s why when Jay and I began development on Watershed, one of our driving forces was to change that narrative. We are honored that our film has found a home in Peacock and hope it continues to serve as a beacon for others who find themselves navigating their own watershed moments.”
Weggemann is also an inclusion advocate on the Advisory Board of Disability for Delta Air Lines and in March 2021 published her first book, Limitless: The Power of Hope and Resilience to Overcome Circumstance, detailing her personal and professional journey.
In Paris this summer, the world’s greatest athletes will compete against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful cities in the world where the modern Olympic Games were conceived 130 years ago. This will be the third time Paris has hosted the Olympics (1900 and 1924), tying London for the most as a Summer Games host. Los Angeles (1932, 1984) will tie those two cities when it hosts the first Summer Games in the U.S. in 32 years in 2028.
The Paris organizers are reimagining the Games to make them more accessible to the public and to showcase their city to the world. In a first, competitions will be held amidst iconic Parisian landmarks – beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, equestrian at the Palace of Versailles, and urban sports at Place de la Concorde. The surfing competition will take place nearly 10,000 miles from Paris in Tahiti, a part of French Polynesia.
The NBC broadcast network and streaming service Peacock will be the company’s primary platforms for its coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, scheduled for July 26-Aug. 11, 2024. Click here for more linear programming information and here for more about the Olympic experience on Peacock.
NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2032, which are scheduled for Paris (2024), Milan Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028) and Brisbane (2032). The host city for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games has not yet been chosen.
The Paralympic Games begin August 28.
