Leslie Jones is being given free rein to continue with her prolific Olympics commentary online after NBC Sports said it cleared up an error that may have been blocking her social media posts.
Jones posted to her social media accounts Monday that she’d been having problems with her posts, blaming NBC for “blocking” the videos in which she gives her commentary of the international events. But NBC Sports attributed the issue to a “third-party error” that has since been resolved, according to a statement.
“She is free to do her social media posts as she has done in the past,” the statement said. “She is a super fan of the Olympics and we are super fans of her.”
NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC Sports and NBC News.
In a statement on Twitter and TikTok Monday, Jones told fans the 2022 Beijing Olympics might be the last time she posts her live commentary. She wrote that she was “tired of fighting” those who didn’t want her to continue.
“They block my videos and they get folks who think they can do it like me. And I’m tired of fighting them,” Jones said. “I love the athletes and they love me doing it … But now it’s just gotten too hard.”
A representative for Jones did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment.
Feb. 5, 202200:59
Jones, a former cast member of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” blamed NBC in replies to fans who urged her to ignore the hate. She also tagged NBC Sports in the caption of a TikTok video where explained she makes her videos as a lifelong fan of the Olympics.
She said she started her videos during the summer of 2016 because she was told that “no one watches the Olympics.”
“These are athletes, this like everybody coming together, no matter what’s going on, and competing in the games … so for us as a country, not supporting them, I thought that was just absolutely stupid,” Jones said.
The videos Jones posts to her social media are her own live reactions to the sporting events, often praising athletes and sharing her awe for their abilities. Most of the videos are recordings of Jones’ television as the event goes on, with her voice over the gameplay.
Jones trended on Twitter Monday after fans urged NBC Sports to correct the issue and suggested hiring her on as a commentator to resolve the situation.
Olympic broadcasting rights are owned by the International Olympics Committee, which negotiates rights with companies around the world. NBCUniversal was given the exclusive broadcasting rights for U.S. audiences until the year 2032.
The IOC cracked down on videos of the games posted to social media last year during the Tokyo games, even those posted by athletes.
“We encourage people, we encourage everybody, to share still pictures of performances, but the video obviously belongs to the rights-holding broadcasters,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said at the time, according to Reuters.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
