Longtime journalist Katie Couric has been tapped to co-host the Olympics opening ceremony to be broadcast on NBC next month, according to NBC Sports.
Couric, who says her favorite winter Olympic sports to watch are downhill skiing and figure skating, will be co-hosting with sports broadcaster Mike Tirico from Pyeongchang.
“It really is a crash course in history when you do something like this, to really be able to dive into the history of South Korea, to also understand what’s happening in the world right now and the ramifications of that — I think to have that as a backdrop for these incredible stories of human sacrifice and determination and resilience — it’s a great two-prong opportunity,” Couric said on Wednesday. “It’s going to take a lot of cramming. I think I’m going to feel like I’m back in college, getting ready for a final exam.”
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 9 from the South Korean city, with NBC’s coverage starting the night before. This will be the first live-streamed opening ceremony, according to NBC, and will start at 6 a.m. eastern time on NBCOlympics.com and the network’s app.
Couric has hosted four previous opening ceremonies and worked at six prior games, according to NBC. She also worked alongside ousted NBC anchor Matt Lauer on “Today” for 15 years.
Lauer was fired in November after complaints of sexual misconduct, including an incident that allegedly took place while Lauer and a woman were covering the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia.
Couric recently told People that she “had no idea” allegations of sexual behavior were going on while she was at NBC.
“The whole thing has been very painful for me,” Couric told People. “The accounts I’ve read and heard have been disturbing, distressing and disorienting and it’s completely unacceptable that any woman at the ‘Today’ show experienced this kind of treatment.”
