Los Angeles — Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning will provide a new flavor to NBC Universal's Paris Olympics coverage this summer. Tuesday night, the network confirmed Clarkson and Manning would headline the opening ceremony with Mike Tirico. Live ceremony coverage will stream on NBC and Peacock at noon ET on July 26.
“I’m extremely honored to have a front row seat,” said Manning, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who won two Super Bowls in 18 NFL seasons. Co-host of “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” with his brother and former NFL quarterback Eli Manning.
She won three Grammys and multiple Emmys for her NBC talk show “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” She hosted NFL Honors last year. “Kelly and I are both fans of the athletes and the opening ceremony of years past,” Manning told The Associated Press Tuesday. “I think these athletes will be emotional. I hope to learn their stories between now and July and share them with the audience.”
Manning will leave his comfort zone of talking football, but Tirico thinks he and Clarkson will do well. Near the ceremony's end, the trio will glimpse the Seine River and Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero.
We want Peyton and Kelly to be themselves. Just be themselves," urged Tirico, who will host his fourth opening ceremony. These two are known, loved, and trusted by many. Including them shows what this event is. Sports encompass it. Sports prompted the meeting. Actually, it's a cultural celebration.”
The Olympic opening ceremony along the Seine will be at sunset, according to organizers. In line with Paris' tagline, “Games Wide Open,” the Olympic opening ceremony will be conducted outside a stadium for the first time. About 10,500 athletes will parade through Paris on Seine boats for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles).
“Today” hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb will be on a bridge on route. They're supposed to report on the ceremony's pomp as the competitors sail by. NBC Olympics Production executive producer and president Molly Solomon believes each host will bring out the best in the other. She dubbed them “compelling combination.”
I’m excited about this whole team,” Solomon added, noting that Guthrie and Kotb will have the greatest opening ceremony seats for their telecast. “They'll watch the athlete boat parade from one of the bridges, where all the fans will be,” she said. “They'll bring a unique perspective. They'll watch the ceremony with fans. The experience will be great.”
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