Rio Olympics 2016 schedule, events dates: Opening ceremony to be broadcast on 1-hour delay

NBC has announced that it will broadcast the Rio Olympics opening ceremony on a one-hour delay.

On Monday, July 11, NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus confirmed that the network will allow producers to "curate" their coverage of the Olympics to give what viewers are seeing proper context.

The Rio Olympics 2016 will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, beginning Friday, Aug. 5, until Sunday, Aug. 21.

The opening ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. in Rio de Janeiro, which is one hour ahead of the United States' Eastern time zone. NBC will broadcast its coverage of the ceremony at 8 p.m. ET. NBC affiliates in areas covered by the Mountain time zone will broadcast the event at 7 p.m. Those on Pacific Time can tune in to the program at 8 p.m.

Viewers can also catch the opening ceremony via NBC's streaming service, but the broadcast will also be delayed.

"We think it's important to give context to the show," Lazarus said on Monday at a press event for the upcoming Olympics in New York City. "These opening ceremonies will be a celebration of Brazilian culture, of Rio, of the pageantry, of the excitement, of the flair this beautiful nation has. We think it's important that we are able to put that in context for the viewer so that it's not just a flash of color."

According to Lazarus, the delayed broadcast of the Rio Olympics is consistent with the network's coverage of the London Olympics in 2012 and the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.

In addition, NBC has announced that it will air an hour-long special the night before the Rio Olympics officially begins. According to Entertainment Weekly, the program will feature star athletes competing at this year's Olympics. The special will also cover topics such as the water pollution problem in Rio as well as the threat posed by the Zika virus.

USA Today noted that NBC will televise most of the Olympic competitions live, with the exception of the gymnastic events. This is the third consecutive Olympics for which NBC will be streaming almost every event live.

Meanwhile, the BBC reports that the Brazilian federal government is beefing up security prior to the Rio Olympics. Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani has confirmed that the government is releasing additional funds for the Olympics' security needs and that the armed forces, in particular, is receiving $24 million.

At least 80,000 police officers and soldiers will reportedly oversee peace and order in the streets of Rio de Janeiro during next month's highly anticipated international multi-sport event. Picciani also confirmed that the military will be patrolling the venues for the Olympics beginning July 24.

For the full schedule of the Rio Olympics, check this page.