22 hours a day of live coverage key to CBC's Paris Olympics plan

CBC/Radio-Canada has announced its extensive coverage plans for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which take place between Friday, July 26, and Sunday, Aug. 11.

Coverage of Team Canada will include a consistent slate of on-the-ground and in-studio coverage programming for 22 hours daily.

"As we mark our 24th Olympic Games as Canada's official broadcaster, we look forward to providing audiences with unparalleled live and on-demand coverage of the world's top athletes on their pursuit of the podium across all of our platforms," Chris Wilson, CBC/Radio-Canada's general manager of Olympics, Paris 2024, said in a release.

The live and on-demand coverage will consist of broadcasts spanning every venue Paris offers and will amass more than 3,000 hours of content as CBC aims to capture every Canadian medal-winning moment.

"CBC/Radio-Canada is delighted to broadcast to Canadians from coast to coast to coast the thrills of the Olympics, this summer with the spectacular backdrop of Paris, France," Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada said.

Audiences can view event schedules, results, athletes's biographies and more on CBC's website and app. Tuning into coverage is possible through traditional television broadcasts on CBC, their partner networks in TSN and Sportsnet and catching live events through the free streaming service CBC Gem.

Two-time Olympian and former speed skater Anastasia Buscis will kick off coverage at 6 a.m. ET with RBC Olympic Morning, bringing up-to-date coverage for six hours with CBC Sports's Rob Pizzo on deck for live updates.

Afterward, audiences will get a view of the Eiffel Tower as Scott Russell hosts the next six-hour block of programming alongside Julie Stewart-Binks from 12 to 6 p.m., who, like Pizzo in the mornings, will bring live updates to the Bell Paris Prime Live segment.

The following seven hours of live programming begins at 7 p.m. with Toyota Olympic Games Primetime running until 2. a.m. The seven-hour block will feature a four-person panel consisting of two Olympians with former Canadian water polo co-captain Waneek Horn-Miller and world champion hurdler Perdita Felicien.

Finally, CBC's 2 to 6 a.m. schedule — Olympic Games Overnight — will showcase highlights and replays from the events from that day while providing live coverage of the early morning Paris events before Buscis's program kickstarts the next day's Olympic coverage.

CBC Sports's Devin Heroux will be on the ground in Paris, bringing audiences as close to the athletes as possible.

Approximately one-third of the broadcast team will be on the ground in Paris, including 16 reporters who will be bringing audiences live updates and reactions from athletes as they step off the field, court and deck, and the broadcast teams for swimming, athletics and basketball. Plus, CBC/Radio-Canada will provide Indigenous language coverage for 3x3 basketball, canoe/kayak, skateboarding and wrestling in Cree, Innu and Atikamekw, as well as basketball in Inuktitut. 

Also joining CBC's programming lineup is Olympic FOMO, a new daily show launching July 27, hosted by longtime radio duo and media besties Mark Strong and Jemeni. They'll be providing a fresh perspective to the Olympic conversation as they chat with athletes, entertainers and celebrities to get their take on the Games, bringing audiences all the tea from Paris. Olympic FOMO will be available across all platforms including CBC and CBC Gem, and daily as a podcast everywhere podcasts are available.  

Highlights include:   

• From the pool for swimming: 2024 Canadian Screen Award-winning broadcaster and Paralympian Rob Snoek and former Olympic swim coach and national team member Byron MacDonald. Olympic bronze medallist Brittany MacLean joins as special analyst. 
• From the track for athletics: Olympians Michael Smith and David Moorcroft providing colour commentary, with award-winning broadcaster Mark Lee on the call. Special analysts include: Two-time Olympic champion Donovan Bailey alongside award-winning broadcaster Ron MacLean; Olympian and world champion Perdita Felicien alongside sports reporter Morgan Campbell; and Olympian Kate Van Buskirk.  
• From the basketball court: veteran broadcaster Dan Shulman with the play-by-play, NBA commentator Meghan McPeak providing analysis and Nabil Karim reporting from the sidelines. 
• From the 3x3 basketball court: CEBL champion and Tom Longboat Award recipient Michael Linklater and sportscaster Daniella Ponticelli. 

Calling the highly anticipated debut of the sport of breaking are Mark Strong aka "Strizzzy" and Toronto B-Boy and hip hop artist, Adrian Bernard aka "Switch B." 

Dual season Olympian and Olympic medallist Phylicia George will be on the  ground in Paris talking to athletes and reporting from Canada Olympic House, while veteran commentators Donnovan Bennett and Shireen Ahmed will offer different perspectives on the events of Paris 2024, broadening the context for the Games.

The public broadcaster will provide children with coverage of the events on cbckidsnews.ca, while cbckids.ca will house Olympic action and an array of games.

"Thanks to our talented and tireless CBC/Radio-Canada teams, audiences from coast to coast to coast will never miss a moment of the action as the country cheers on and celebrates the world's top athletes," Wilson said.