For the first time since it's been covering the Olympic Games, NBC will not host its VIP sponsors where the athletic action is, according to a report.
Instead of Pyeongchang, South Korea, site of the Winter Games that begin Friday, the VIPs will be welcomed in Jackson Hole, Wyo. — about 5,730 miles away, the Denver Post reported.
NBC cited a lack of hotel rooms near the Olympic site, the report said. The network told the paper that its decision was not based on political tensions on the Korean Peninsula sparked by the North’s nuclear weapons program.
The two Koreas have made increased attempts to talk leading up to this month's Games, the most recent being an announcement that Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday at the opening ceremony of the Winter Games.
NBC chose Jackson Hole for its luxury winter resort, and dining and entertainment accommodations, NBC Sports spokesman Christopher McCloskey told the Denver Post in an email.
“Another draw was that Jackson Hole has been visited less frequently by our clients, making it an even more special experience for them,” he said.