NBCUniversal to air 7,000 hours of Olympics coverage, as pandemic worries continue

FILE PHOTO: The logo of the Tokyo Olympic Games, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office building in Tokyo, Japan, January 22, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo/File Photo

(Reuters) - Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal said on Monday it will air an "unprecedented" 7,000 hours of coverage for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics across its multiple television networks and streaming platform Peacock, even as most Japanese citizens continue to oppose holding the Games during the pandemic.

The Olympics, which have already been postponed by a year, are a marquee event for NBCUniversal to attract eyeballs, advertiser dollars and promote Peacock at a time when viewers are watching less live TV. The media company paid $7.65 billion to extend its U.S. broadcast rights for the Olympics through 2032.