NBC added a headline name to its tape delayed coverage of the Opening Ceremonies to the Sochi Olympics: President Barack Obama.
Obama will appear in a taped interview with Bob Costas tonight during the Olympic primetime program at 8 p.m. ET. According to an NBC press release, Costas recorded the interview from the NBC Olympics' studio in Sochi, while the President was in The White House. An excerpt of the interview will also air during Nightly News with Brian Williams.
It's Obama's second interview in less than a week during a major sports-related telecast. On Sunday he was interviewed by Bill O'Reilly during Fox's 19 hours of Super Bowl pregame coverage.
The President will discuss the obvious topics that are leading into the Sochi Games: treatment of gay atheletes and the LGBT discrimination laws in Russia, security at the Olympics and Obama's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Costas will be somewhat absent from the Opening Ceremonies, however. While he will provide the interview with the President and some anchor segments, the broadcast will largely be co-hosted by Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira from the Today show. They will be joined by New Yorker editor David Remnick.
Need one more reason to sit through this event you've been hearing about all day on Twitter anyway? Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Peter Dinklage will narrate an opening tease that will launch tonight's coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET. The tease will be seven minutes long and feature athletes such as Shaun White, Shani Davis, Bode Miller, Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner and Alexander Ovechkin. Say it with me: WINTER IS COMING.
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