Viewing Tokyo Olympics in 4K Depends on 'Distribution Partners': NBCU

NBCUniversal’s announcement it will beam prime-time coverage of the Tokyo Olympics in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos in “certain markets” wasn't the first time NBC discussed deploying Ultra HD for major live sports. The network was “investigating” plans to carry the 2018 Super Bowl in 4K, then-NBC Broadcasting and Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus told the October 2017 NAB Show New York, listing the abundant logistics and cost challenges involved in pulling it off (see 1710180023). The 4K telecast never happened. NBCUniversal will beam the Tokyo Olympics in 4K HDR to its U.S. “distribution partners,” it said Thursday. They will “individually choose how to make the content available to their customers,” said the network, without disclosing which HDR format it will use. The games open July 23 for a two-week run.