The Olympics are FINALLY here! With some events starting today, the Opening Ceremony takes place tomorrow night in primetime on NBC (WGRZ) in US and then the games are a go! Unlike past Olympics, this year you will be able to watch ALL events LIVE when they happen. NBC will still host a primetime show that will replay the big events of the day and other highlights! We will still get the Olympic athlete profiles that we love and witty banter from the NBC anchors. Also look for fan favorite and SNL cast member Leslie Jones as part of the NBC coverage. She was brought in mid-olympics durning the summer games after she became viral with her social media commentary on the games!

While there have been some concerns in regards to safety with the proximity to North Korea, most of the reports coming out of PyeongChang have been glowing. Especially compared to the last Winter Games in Sochi.

So how do these Olympics stack up to other? Here are some basic numbers from WalletHub.

  • $13 Billion: Estimated cost of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, 4x less than the record-setting 2014 Sochi Games.
  • $19.6 Million: Was spent on cybersecurity and X-ray screening for the PyeongChang Games.
  • $4,683: Average price of a week-long trip to PyeongChang for the Olympics.
  • 242: Athletes on the U.S. team -  a record for any country in the Winter Olympics.
  • 169: Russian athletes received a special exemption to compete after Russia was banned from the 2018 Olympics due to a doping scandal.

Interesting to note that they've spent FOUR TIMES less than Russia for the Olympics and they're ready on time and all housing is completely built! Also, the amount being spent on security should be no surprise and should help with some comfort in this high tension world.

As far as athletes go, the USA is leading in the amount of athletes with a record number 242 delegates! Don't forget that FIVE of those athletes are from WNY and the flag bearer for the USA is from Lake Placid!
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Source: WalletHub

WalletHub has done an amazing job putting these stats and figures together! Some I would never even think about but find completely fascinating! I think we can all agree we want the games to be victorious for the USA but safe, peaceful and enjoyable for the world!

GO TEAM USA!

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