History ABC Olympic broadcasts

1 history

1.1 1960s
1.2 coverage of 1972 munich massacre
1.3 1976-1988
1.4 since 1988 winter games
1.5 hours of coverage

history
1960s

while cbs aired both 1960 winter , summer games (marking first time olympics broadcast on american television), 1964, different network showed winter games: abc. roone arledge won broadcast rights network , began relationship 5 rings last on 2 decades. program used many of same production staff abc s wide world of sports, same host, jim mckay, moved abc cbs in 1961. in 1968, abc showed both winter games , summer games.

the 1964 winter games in innsbruck, austria, , coverage taped , flown plane united states. of in black-and-white, winter olympic events in morning (local time), tv coverage aired day events held.

by 1968, abc broadcasting olympics in full color, , satellites made possible live coverage of several events @ winter games in grenoble, france , of of network s coverage of summer games in mexico city.

highlighting 1968 winter games dramatic sweep in men s alpine skiing frenchman jean-claude killy, while major highlight of summer games world-record long jump bob beamon of united states, happened air live in u.s.

coverage of 1972 munich massacre

in 1972, nbc showed winter games sapporo, japan, abc returned carry summer games in munich, germany. during summer games palestinian terrorists attacked olympic village , killed 11 israeli athletes. although chris schenkel actual host of games year, arledge assigned story mckay largely because local news anchor in baltimore, maryland prior joining cbs (and later abc). mckay joined on set abc news correspondent (and former , future evening news anchor) peter jennings, , coverage continued many hours until outcome known. mckay later won emmy award coverage.

1976-1988

by time 1976 edition came around, mckay installed @ host, role play throughout 1970s , 80s. abc aired 1980 winter olympics.

chuck mangione s instrumental song give got featured official theme of 1980 winter olympics, held in lake placid, new york. abc had used mangione s recordings 4 years earlier during coverage of 1976 summer olympics, , then-abc sports president roone arledge asked musician create theme song winter games. mangione performed song live @ closing ceremonies on february 24.

the 1980 winter olympics perhaps notable miracle on ice . miracle on ice medal-round men s ice hockey game lake placid, new york, on february 22. united states team, made of amateur , collegiate players , led coach herb brooks, defeated soviet team, considered best hockey team in world. rest of united states (except watched game live on canadian television) had wait see game, abc decided broadcast late-afternoon game on tape delay in prime time. sportscaster al michaels, calling game on abc along former montreal canadiens goalie ken dryden, picked on countdown in broadcast, , delivered famous call:

an indent abc sports coverage of 1984 winter olympics. instance during closing ceremony.

the opening , closing ceremonies of 1984 summer olympics, , 1988 winter olympics hosted on abc jim mckay , peter jennings.

abc sports covered 1984 winter olympics in sarajevo, yugoslavia, , 1984 summer olympics in los angeles, usa. 1988 winter olympics in calgary, alberta, canada recent olympics covered abc sports.

since 1988 winter games

after that, network, @ insistence of new owner capital cities communications (much chagrin of roone arledge s successor @ abc sports, dennis swanson), opted not bid rights show future games. subsequently, walt disney company acquired capital cities-abc in 1995 , began process of putting more effort branding of abc s sports channel espn of abc sports itself.

in august 2008, espn, holds control of abc s sports division (now known espn on abc), asserted make serious bid 2014 games in sochi, russia , 2016 games in rio de janeiro, brazil. however, nbc won rights american television coverage of olympics through 2020 summer games.

on may 7, 2014, nbc holds control of olympic television coverage in united states through 2032 summer games.

hours of coverage