Web still taking backseat to TV at Olympics

The Olympic Games are supposed to be about international brotherhood and friendly competition, but NBC apparently doesn't want its competition to get too chummy.

NBC, which has the exclusive rights to televise events from the games in Beijing, has made great strides over the years in bringing more content to viewers. For the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the network set up NBCOlympics.com, but alas it offered little more than photos and schedules intended to drive Web surfers to their TVs.

In 2004, the network discovered high definition, which was nice--unless you weren't too keen on waiting an extra hour for the opening ceremonies to be broadcast, or had no interest in watching the same footage of a diving competition for days on end.

In 2006, NBC seemed to discover the Internet, offering live Internet streaming of the gold medal hockey game at the Turin Winter Olympics.

So it seemed the entertainment giant had finally gotten its act together: in addition to the 1,400 hours of TV coverage, the network plans to enlist the Internet to offer 3,000 hours of on-demand highlights, blogging, analysis, and even fantasy league gaming.

However, the Internet will still be taking a backseat to the TV. NBC will not make televised events available online until after they are seen on TV, Perkins Miller, senior vice president for digital media at NBC Sports, told the Associated Press .

And NBC, which ponied up $3.5 billion to the International Olympics Committee for the rights to televise the games, isn't making friends with other Web sites. NBCOlympics.com is the only site where you will see video coverage of events on the Web. Other Web sites are permitted to show Olympic trials events, but they must link to NBCOlympics.com--and all that video content must be taken down before the games begin in Beijing.

Is NBC being a bit paranoid about Web sites stealing its TV viewership?

"It's not that we aren't nervous," Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, told the AP. "But we're up to it, and we're going to perform as we always have in the past."

Maybe NBC will surprise us and do better.

Click here for more stories on tech and the Beijing Olympics.

[benjaminstraight]

Hmm we will see.

[BadEnuf]

I've always marveled at the up to date coverage we get here in Canada via CBC (public) and TSN (private), and then see the same events shown on NBC hours later. Certainly the coverage we have is more 'Canadian' based, but even then it has a broad swath of coverage. Even their web sites have had good up-to-date stats and commentary. Hopefully this year they'll have more live coverage as well.

Why NBC insists at tape delaying the coverage is beyond me, and also filtering what goes thru their web site... PEOPLE WANT TO SEE IT LIVE!!

[Save_Me_from_my_Govt]

Olympics? China? Excuse me, but I have sooooo many more things that are more important: 1) Sorting the silverware drawer, 2) flossing the cat, 3)..... whatever...

[groink_hi]

Before you wrote this article, did you bother to check with NBC's contract with the IOC to see if live streaming is allowed? There are many other sport organizations that do not allow things such as live streaming, blogging at the event, etc. NBC is one of the more technological networks in the U.S. - especially because of its partnership with Microsoft, among other partners. There must be some sort of a legitimate reason for this.

[stevenmusil]

NBC's contract with the IOC apparently didn't prohibit the network's live streaming in 2006, and considering this is part of the same deal, I am betting that there are no contractual restrictions against live streaming.

[mmormando]

Have you tried the NBCOlympics site? Install Silverlight to watch the videos? No thanks, I've got enough virus bait out there just running windows at all without adding that to the mix!

[jamalystic]

Well those who think webcasting will soon replace broadcast TV should have some rethinking to do!! NBC is just using the internet to drive its television audience during the covergae of the olympics. What good is watching the games online if i don't have the opportunity to watch them live. So for now , it seems the TV will remain to be the dominant broadcasting medium: Broadcast TV Demise Is Premature ( http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=622&doc_id=156745&F_src=flftwo)

[wilsonckm]

It is a myth that canadian coverage is better on CBC versus NBC. NBC has 3 x as much coverage than what CBC had in the past. IF CBC coverage is so good, then why did the CBC lose the TV rights starting in 2010? Yes, the live coverage you talk about seeing hours later on NBC is stuff that was live at 3:30 A.M. in the morning when no one wants to watch it anyways.

[detroit4ever]

NBC might have 3 times as much coverage, but they only show 1/3 as much action. They are so concerned with their pre-packaged feel good stories, they often seem to forget the Olympics are sporting events. Luckily I live in Detroit and can watch CBC. I'm disappointed to learn they are losing broadcasting rights.

[tamis1]

Check out http://www.cbc.ca/livevideo/ ..I think non-Canadians can view it? Up to 11 different feeds LIVE (I've had the online feeds and the TV feed on at the same time, plus checked with the official Olympic website to verify everything was happening at the same time - it is!) All but 1 of the feeds don't have audio commentary (yes!!!! no annoying commentators!) I totally agree with BadEnuf that we've got it pretty good here!