TOKYO (BLOOMBERG) - Universal Studios Japan decided to postpone an opening of the Nintendo-themed area that was originally scheduled for this summer due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, people familiar with the matter said.

The theme park, owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal, is expected to make a formal announcement as early as this week, potentially with information on the new schedule, the two people said, asking not to be identified because the decision is not yet public. Construction of the area is nearly complete and Comcast is still aiming for an opening this year, they said.

Nintendo and Universal Parks & Resorts tied up in 2015 and announced they would bring Nintendo-themed areas within Universal Studios theme parks around the world, beginning with Osaka's before the now-postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The area is expected to boost visitors to the popular amusement destination and raise awareness of Nintendo's popular game characters, and boost sales of the company's consoles and game software.

Universal Studios Japan and Nintendo didn't immediately reply to requests for comment outside of business hours.

One of the people said the plan was for Comcast to open before the Tokyo Olympics, and not the summer of 2020. The Olympics is now scheduled to begin in July 2021.