Leslie Jones free to post Olympics commentary after error resolved, NBC says
Leslie Jones is being given free rein to continue with her prolific Olympics commentary online after NBC Sports said it had cleared up an error that may have been blocking her social media posts.
Jones posted to her social media accounts Monday that she had been having problems with her posts, blaming NBC for "blocking" the videos, in which she gives her commentary on the international events. But NBC Sports attributed the issue in a statement to a "third-party error" that has since been resolved.
"She is free to do her social media posts as she has done in the past," the statement said. "She is a super fan of the Olympics and we are super fans of her.”
NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC Sports and NBC News.
In a statement on Twitter and TikTok, Jones told fans Monday that the Beijing Olympics might be the last time she posts her live commentary. She wrote that she was "tired of fighting" those who didn't want her to continue.
"They block my videos and they get folks who think they can do it like me. And I'm tired of fighting them," Jones said. "I love the athletes and they love me doing it. ... But now it's just gotten too hard."
A representative for Jones did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment.
Jones, a former cast member of NBC's "Saturday Night Live," blamed NBC in replies to fans who urged her to ignore the hate. She also tagged NBC Sports in the caption of a TikTok video in which she explained that she makes her videos as a lifelong fan of the Olympics.
She said she started her videos in the summer of 2016 because she was told that "no one watches the Olympics."
"These are athletes, this, like, everybody coming together, no matter what’s going on, and competing in the games ... so for us as a country, not supporting them, I thought that was just absolutely stupid," Jones said.
Jones’ videos are her own live reactions to the sporting events, often praising athletes and sharing her awe for their abilities. Most of the videos are recordings of Jones' television as the events go on, with her voice over the action.
Jones trended Monday on Twitter after fans urged NBC Sports to correct the issue and suggested hiring her on as a commentator to resolve the situation.
Olympic broadcasting rights are owned by the International Olympic Committee, which negotiates rights with companies around the world. NBCUniversal was given the exclusive broadcasting rights for U.S. audiences until 2032.
The IOC cracked down on posting videos of the Games to social media last year during the Summer Games in Tokyo, even those posted by athletes.
“We encourage people, we encourage everybody, to share still pictures of performances, but the video obviously belongs to the rights-holding broadcasters,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said at the time, according to Reuters.
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