In an attempt to boost ratings, NBC has reportedly asked the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee to change the order of the countries in the Parade of Nations.
Because the United States starts with an E in Portuguese (it’s known as the Estados Unidos), the U.S. is scheduled to walk early in the ceremony, causing NBC to worry about its audience for the Aug. 5 Opening Ceremonies.
According to Brazilian newspaper Agora São Paulo, NBC is concerned that the US being presented so early in the ceremony, scheduled to take place at the Maracanã Stadium on August 5, will result in reduced television audiences.
The American broadcaster has therefore submitted a request for the US to be moved to the end of the parade with countries being introduced in accordance with the English language.
NBC has already toyed with the coverage of this ceremony to begin with. Earlier this month, NBC revealed that the opening ceremonies would be shown an hour after they actually happen. This announcement came while the network pushed its claim that this will be “the most live Olympics ever.”
As can be seen by this news, NBC is pushing for any viewers it can get in anyway possible. Besides a massive marketing campaign showcasing the 6,755 hours of live coverage, NBC Sports has revamped its app, announced it will have 85 hours of virtual reality programming, and brought in a star-studded broadcasting team that will even include Brazilian super models.
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