Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco picked to promote winter Olympics

Apnews - Apr 30th, 2025

NBC is ramping up excitement for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Games in Italy by blending Olympic fervor with pop culture elements. In a recent announcement, NBC revealed that Italian American comedians Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco will star in a humorous commercial promoting the Winter Games. This spot, set to air during NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage, features the comedians atop the Italian Alps, discussing winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, but humorously digressing into conversations about Italian cuisine. The setting was crafted by Industrial Light & Magic, known for their work on 'The Mandalorian,' adding a cinematic touch to the promotion.

NBC's strategy of pairing entertainers with Olympic themes aims to maintain cultural relevance and entertainment value. According to Joseph Lee, NBC's senior vice president of creative marketing, the approach of leveraging recognizable and beloved personalities is designed to keep the Games engaging for a broad audience. This tactic follows last year's successful campaign featuring stars like Snoop Dogg, Megan Thee Stallion, and Simone Biles. By integrating celebrities into Olympic promotion, NBC seeks to enhance viewership and interest in the Games, merging athletic excellence with mainstream entertainment appeal.

Ray Romano Nbc Pop Culture Olympics Comedians Sebastian Maniscalco Milan Cortina Winter Games Television Advertising

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RATING

7.8

Fair Story

Consider it well-founded

The article effectively presents NBC's strategy of incorporating pop culture and celebrity appeal into its Olympic promotions. It accurately conveys the involvement of comedians Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco, with a clear and engaging narrative. The article is timely, as it relates to upcoming events, and is generally well-supported by credible sources.

However, the piece could benefit from a broader range of perspectives, particularly from athletes or industry experts, to enhance balance and public interest. While it touches on potential controversies, such as the commercialization of the Olympics, it does not fully explore these topics, limiting its impact and potential to provoke debate.

Overall, the article provides a solid overview of NBC's promotional strategy, with strengths in clarity and readability, but could be improved by incorporating more diverse viewpoints and exploring the broader implications of the strategy.

Accuracy

The article accurately reports NBC's strategy to blend pop culture with the Olympics, as confirmed by external sources. The involvement of Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco, and the comedic theme focusing on Italian food, aligns with the described promotional strategy. The claim about the commercial airing during the Kentucky Derby is consistent with other reports.

However, the article lacks verification on certain details, such as the specific timing of the commercial within the Derby broadcast and the full list of celebrities involved in past campaigns. While the use of Industrial Light & Magic for visual effects is plausible, it requires specific confirmation.

Overall, the article presents factual claims that are mostly verifiable, with minor gaps in precision regarding specific details and historical context.

Balance

The article provides a balanced overview of NBC's promotional strategy by highlighting the use of celebrities and comedians. It includes statements from NBC executives, offering insight into their marketing approach.

However, the piece primarily focuses on the promotional aspects and does not present perspectives from other stakeholders, such as athletes or viewers, who might have differing opinions on the commercialization of the Olympics. Including these perspectives could enhance the balance by showing how different parties perceive the strategy.

The article maintains a neutral tone and does not exhibit overt favoritism towards NBC or the comedians involved, but the lack of diverse viewpoints slightly limits the balance.

Clarity

The article is well-structured and clearly presents the main points, making it easy for readers to understand NBC's promotional strategy. The language is straightforward, and the flow of information is logical, moving from the strategy to specific examples and executive comments.

The use of quotes and specific examples, such as the involvement of Romano and Maniscalco, helps to illustrate the points made and adds to the article's clarity. The comedic theme is effectively communicated, making the content engaging and accessible.

Overall, the article is clear and concise, with minor room for improvement in providing additional context or perspectives.

Source quality

The article relies on statements from NBC and its executives, which are credible sources for information about the network's promotional strategies. The inclusion of quotes from Joseph Lee, NBC's senior vice president, adds authority to the claims made.

However, the article would benefit from additional sources to provide a more comprehensive view, such as comments from the comedians themselves or industry experts. This would bolster the reliability of the information and offer a broader perspective on the topic.

Overall, the source quality is strong, but the inclusion of more varied sources could improve the depth of reporting.

Transparency

The article is transparent about its sources, clearly attributing statements to NBC and its executives. It provides context for NBC's promotional strategy and the involvement of specific entertainers.

However, the article could be more transparent about the broader implications of the strategy, such as how it affects the perception of the Olympics or its impact on viewership. Additionally, there is no mention of potential conflicts of interest, such as financial arrangements between NBC and the celebrities involved.

While the article discloses its sources and context, greater transparency regarding the broader impact and potential conflicts would enhance its credibility.