Michael Phelps is back in the broadcast booth.
The American swimmer and the most decorated Olympic athlete in history will return to NBC's Olympic broadcast team for swimming coverage at the Paris Games, the network announced Friday.
“We're thrilled to have Michael return to our broadcasts in both daytime and primetime, and of course in the pool, where he knows more about winning than anyone,” Molly Solomon, executive producer and president, NBC Olympic Productions, said in a statement.
Phelps, 38, will appear on daytime and primetime Olympic programming on NBC and Peacock and will also be in the booth for the Olympic swimming events at La Defense arena in Paris, alongside play-by-play announcer Dan Hicks and commentator Rowdy Gaines.
Phelps was part of NBC's swimming coverage team during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
As a swimmer, Phelps competed in five Olympic Games, winning eight at Beijing in 2008, the most gold medals ever won by a swimmer at a single Olympic Games. In total, Phelps finished his illustrious Olympic career with 23 gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.
Phelps will be in the booth with Hicks and Gaines at the conclusion of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, which begin Friday night in Indianapolis. Phelps appeared on a segment on NBC Thursday to respond to the abuse about the U.S.-Australia swimming rivalry.
“I'm literally going to make them take back every single word they've ever said about me,” Phelps said.
“I'm going to make them take back every single word they said about me.”
Michael Phelps was excited about the USA vs. Australia swimming rivalry. #ParisOlympics. pic.twitter.com/57cKaLvgtE
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 21, 2024
Phelps' importance to NBC's Olympic broadcast team
Phelps was a big part of NBC's viewership as an athlete and is well known to Olympic viewers, and network executives like Solomon praised his work as a commentator for the Tokyo Olympics alongside Hicks and Gaines.
That's a fair point. Phelps is great at explaining what goes on in the pool to the general public, and he's not shy about expressing his opinions. I expect he'll be forcefully critical on air of the 23 top Chinese swimmers who tested positive for banned substances in the months leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, and how that will impact the upcoming Games. A content staple for Olympic coverage has always been to have Olympic champions on air, and this is an extension of that philosophy. — Richard Deitch, Sports Media Writer
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(Photo by Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
