HODA KOTB JOINS MATT LAUER AND MEREDITH VIEIRA ON NBC'S COVERAGE OF 2016 RIO OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY

Kotb Will Also Serve as an NBC Olympics Correspondent throughout Games

Opening Ceremony of 2016 Rio Olympic Games is August 5 on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. - June 16, 2016 - TODAY's Hoda Kotb will join Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira as hosts for the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 5 on NBC.

In addition to her Opening Ceremony role, Kotb will serve as an NBC Olympics correspondent throughout the Games, providing her unique brand of conversation, commentary and insight into the sights, sounds and happenings in Rio. She will also be a part of the TODAY anchor team in Rio throughout the Olympics. Kotb previously worked at multiple Olympics for NBC News, including in Athens (2004), Torino (2006), Beijing (2008) and London (2012).

"The Opening Ceremony is a global gathering unlike any other and Hoda's presence will take the party to another level," said Jim Bell, Executive Producer, NBC Olympics, and former Executive Producer of TODAY (2005-12). "Matt, Meredith, and Hoda will perfectly capture the mix of joy, wonder and pageantry on this special night when a city renowned for celebrating welcomes the world's greatest athletes."

Since 2008, Kotb has co-hosted with Kathie Lee Gifford the fourth hour of TODAY. In that time, the fourth hour has been hailed as "appointment television" by Entertainment Weekly, "uproarious and irresistible" by People, and "Today's happy hour" by USA Today.

About NBC Olympics

A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal's Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. The 2012 London Olympics were watched by 217 million Americans across the networks of NBCUniversal, making it the most-watched event in U.S. television history.