Technology

The first four nights of the 2008 Summer Olympics have been the most watched except for Atlanta in 1996 according to a recent Wall Street Journal article. NBC says it is also on track to beat the viewing total of the 1996 Olympics. Of course it helps that American swimmer Michael Phelps swam his way to eight Olympic gold medals in the first week of competition. A once-in-a-generation athlete such as Phelps certainly draws interest to the games. But now with the swimming competition over, the focus shifts to other events such as track and field.
 
With that, the track and field events will not be airing live like swimming events did. Track and Field events will take place at night in Beijing as it will be morning in the United States with a 12-hour time difference. This means they will not air live and people following the Olympics will already have the chance to know the results of the competitions and may not feel the need to watch. How to attract viewers to non-live events is the dilemma that NBC is facing.
 
Many experts thought Olympic followers would choose competing media sources such as mobile updates and the Internet over watching NBC’s coverage of the Olympics but the excitement and the live viewing of the games has won the interest of many viewers. The ratings were high because the the sporting events so far have been popular and there have been well-known athletes competing. In other sports such as track and field, however, there are not many well-known American athletes that are going to dominate like Phelps did. NBC says athletes with less stardom should not decrease the viewership of the games. The Olympic games themselves are generating the interest.
 
“We’re at a time and place in this country where people are searching for something to share, to come together around,” says Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, in the Wall Street Journal. “This Olympics has become that platform.”
 
Zenkel makes a great point that people can connect with other Olympic viewers thanks to NBC’s choice to offer coverage beyond television broadcasts.  A recent Talkibie article explored NBC’s pursuit of streaming video for the Olympic games. For those who can gather in front of the television and share Olympic moments with friends, life is golden.  However, people stuck on the train or at an airport terminal can still watch streaming video coverage of the Olympics via their mobile phone or Wi-Fi laptop and share the experience with fellow travellers.
 
NBC is on pace to beat the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games record of 209 million viewers. Over 157 million viewers have watched the games so far according to the Wall Street Journal. The live events scheduled for United States prime time broadcast in week two include beach volleyball, preliminary diving competitions, the men’s marathon, and a BMX bicycle race. The rarity of being able to view these contests should keep people interested. Unlike regular American sports such as the big four, (basketball, baseball, football, and hockey), there are many Olympic sports people do not have the opportunity to watch day after day. Combine that with the extensive streaming online video coverage for the Olympics and NBC could get a perfect score from the ratings judges.

By Chris White