A record number of viewers is expected to tune into the PyeongChang Winter Olympics’ television broadcasts, according to a report released by the International Olympic Committee on Friday.

The Media Guide released by the IOC predicts that this year’s event will score record statistics in both the scale of media coverage and number of worldwide broadcast hours.

PyeongChang has already set the record for the most number of participating countries -- 92, compared to previous Winter Games.

Some 5 billion viewers worldwide will be able to watch television broadcasts of the games.

In Korea, the host country, television coverage of the event will be double that of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. 

In the US, over 2,400 hours of Olympic-related coverage will air on TV network NBC Universal and digital platforms, according to the report. It is the largest number of broadcast hours in the US covering a Winter Olympic event, and equivalent to the sum of coverage hours of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

NBC will also cooperate with Intel to deliver 50 hours of virtual reality programs on PyeongChang.

Some 4,000 hours of PyeongChang coverage are to air in 48 European countries, according to the report.

The Olympic Broadcasting Services, established by the IOC in 2001, will air over 5,000 hours of the games with 450 cameras.

(doo@heraldcorp.com)