NBC plans to devote the first hour of its Sunday prime-time Olympic coverage, or at least most of it, to a single athlete: Michael Phelps.
Mark J. Terrill, AP
NBC will get as much mileage as it can out of U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, cooking up an hour-long feature on the record-setting Olympian to air Sunday night.
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Jim Bell, overseeing NBC's London Olympic coverage, says that wasn't originally planned, though Olympic prime-time coverage is usually sketched out well in advance.
The idea came after Phelps was in NBC's studio Saturday to talk to Bob Costas.
"It really dawned on us during the interview," says Bell, an NBC Olympic TV veteran who also oversees NBC's Today show. "Phelps was relaxed and reflective. And we wondered how we could get this all in. He is the greatest Olympic champion of all time. I think we can say that. The interview felt like it was crying out for expanded treatment."
So NBC will replace previously scheduled action — which would have been some track and field and diving, Bell says — for one last chance for NBC to get some ratings mileage out of Phelps.
Not that Bell would rule out Phelps returning to the network — as an analyst.
"Right now, we're so used to seeing him in the pool. But that's something we'll obviously talk to him about. But like his mom, we wouldn't mind seeing him in an Olympic pool again," Bell says.
As to what Phelps told Costas that will strike viewers as new, Bell offered one tidbit: In the interview, Phelps says after he missed out on a medal in the 400 individual medley in London, "He says he really had a freak-out. But it helped him to relax more."
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