NBC OLYMPICS TO PRESENT OLYMPIC PREVIEW SPECIAL LIVE FROM RIO ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, AT 8 P.M. ET/PT ON NBC

Bob Costas Hosts One-Hour Special

Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Usain Bolt, and U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team to be Featured

Program Will Provide Updates on All Topics Related to Rio Olympics

STAMFORD, Conn. - July 11, 2016 - NBC Olympics will present a one-hour Rio Olympics preview special live from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Thursday, August 4, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, on NBC, one day before the Opening Ceremony.

The one-hour special will feature star athletes Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Usain Bolt, and the U.S. women's gymnastics team. NBC Olympics will also introduce the U.S. audience to the host city and country, and will address all topics related to the Rio Olympics.

The program will be hosted by Bob Costas, who will serve as NBC's primetime Olympic host for a U.S. television record 11th time this August. NBC Olympics correspondents and event analysts will also contribute commentary to the program.

"At the outset of every Olympics, there is always excitement about the athletes taking center stage and questions about the host city's readiness," said Jim Bell, Executive Producer, NBC Olympics. "This hour will allow us to address both topics, and more, as Rio prepares to welcome the world to the first Olympic Games ever held in South America."

The networks and digital platforms of NBCUniversal will present an unprecedented 6,755 hours of programming for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad. Click here for more information.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics will air on Friday, August 5, on NBC. Competition begins two days earlier on Wednesday, August 3, with women's soccer on NBCSN and USA Network. The Games conclude on Sunday, August 21, with the Closing Ceremony on NBC.

ABOUT NBC OLYMPICS

A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal's Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. The 2012 London Olympics were watched by 217 million Americans across the networks of NBCUniversal, making it the most-watched event in U.S. television history.