Why won't NBC rehire Leslie Jones for its Winter Olympics commentary?

Salon.com

The controversy over NBC blocking Jones' Olympic commentary videos on social media raises the question of why NBC stopped working with the former SNL star. "Jones first became a fan-favorite homebody commentator during the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro," says Joy Saha. "Her popularity was also noted by NBC — Jones contributed to NBC's coverage of both the 2016 Games and the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. But aside from those gigs, Jones' commentary has been relegated back to social media, never to be hired again. And this was not just some blip because of the pandemic. Last year, NBC attempted to emulate Jones' comical commentary with others who failed to capture her signature charm. During the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo, NBC launched a half-hour highlight show on Peacock hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart, whom Jones no doubt was referencing with the comment, 'They get folks who think they can do it like me.'" Saha wonders if Jones hosting a game show (Supermarket Sweep) on rival network ABC is reason why NBC doesn't want to be associated with her anymore. Regardless, says Saha, "it does feel like her talents are largely wasted."