Molly Solomon Replaces Jim Bell in Leading NBC’s Olympics Coverage

Bell stepped down earlier this month

Los Angeles Olympics

NBC has found its replacement for Jim Bell for its Olympics coverage, naming Molly Solomon as executive producer and president, NBC Olympics Production. She will continue her role as executive producer for the Golf Channel.

Solomon, who has worked 10 prior Olympics for NBC Sports, including as coordinating producer of the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony and primetime show, will oversee all day-to-day editorial production of NBC Olympics’ coverage of the Games, as well as Olympic Channel.

“To lead NBC Sports’ Olympic production team is an immensely rewarding opportunity in a 30-year career,” Solomon said. “Growing up at NBC Sports, I’ve been so fortunate to work with the gifted Olympics storytellers, and then to combine it with my other sports love – golf – with the incredible, dedicated team at GOLF Channel, who have such a love and commitment to the game. I’ve had a great sports life. I can’t wait to dig in and work more broadly on the Tokyo Olympics, which will be the biggest media event in the world.”

Solomon begins her new role immediately. NBC has next year’s Summer Olympics from Tokyo.

Bell stepped down earlier this month after three decades with NBC. He was with NBC since 1990 as a producer and has worked on every Olympics for the network since the 1992 Summer Games. He spent seven years as the executive producer of the “Today” show from 2005-2012, before moving to NBC Sports fulltime to lead the network’s Olympics coverage. He was named president of NBC Olympics Production & Programming in 2017, and last year took on showrunning duties for “Tonight Show.”

Bell was replaced by Gavin Purcell on an interim basis at “The Tonight Show.”

“As a broadcast partner at the PGA of America, and now as a colleague at NBC Sports, I’ve had a front-row seat watching Molly skillfully and creatively lead a tremendous GOLF Channel production team,” NBC Sports Group president Pete Bevacqua said. “We are excited to put oversight of our Olympic presentation into her exceptionally-qualified hands, and are especially proud to see a long-time and well-liked member of our NBC team return to her roots.”

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