Olympics network debuts Saturday

A new television network designed to highlight Olympic sports and American athletes chasing gold medal dreams is set to debut Saturday.

The Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA network launches at 8 a.m. MDT in 35 million American homes (including in Colorado) with NBC’s Mike Tirico previewing the live sports, archival footage and documentaries that will make up most of its programming. The show will repeat several times over the weekend for those sleeping in.

World championships in track and field, swimming and diving and beach volleyball will fill considerable airtime during the infant network’s first two months. A lengthy tribute to the 1992 United States “Dream Team” in men’s basketball will lead into Labor Day.

The launch comes at a time of cord-cutting and contraction in the cable business. But NBC Universal is sharing costs and control with the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee.