NBC Plans Massive Promotional Push for Rio Olympics

[mvcg66b3r]

NBC News is joining other NBC entities counting down to Rio 2016.

Tomorrow, which marks one year until the first Olympic events, NBC’s Natalie Morales will report live from Rio for the Today show while Miguel Almaguer will report live for Nightly News. On Rockefeller Plaza, several Olympians will appear on the Today show demonstrating their sports, including track & field, table tennis, golf, and weightlifting.

Then at 8 p.m. ET/PT, NBCUniversal will “road block” a 60-second promo for the games across all of its 18 broadcast and cable networks, including NBC, Telemundo, NBCSN, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, and others.

NBC paid $1.23 billion for the rights to the 2016 Rio games. The network also secured the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea for $963 million, and spent $1.45 billion for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Last year, the company bid a total of $7.75 billion for the next six Olympics until 2032. The IOC selected Beijing as host for the 2022 Winter games on Friday. Meanwhile, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. could be in the running as the U.S. candidate city to host the 2024 Summer games after Boston ended its bid last week. The IOC will select the 2024 host city in 2017.

http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/nbc-plans-massive-promotional-push-for-rio-olympics/268765

 

[landtuna]

The problem with the Olympics, among many others, is that American broadcasters spend way too much time on fluffy stories instead of the competition AND a lot of the competition aren't real sports, but games instead. I get that the name of the event is the Olympic Games but even WWoS learned that they had to sandwich ordinary games in between marquee events to sell the program. Also, knowing what a dump most of Brazil is makes patronizing the games that much less enjoyable - a country that cannot afford to clean itself up but is spending billions on Olympic venues that never repay their cost. The stories about the polluted environment have already begun to surface.

Thanks NBC but no thanks. I will again be bypassing the Games.

 

[davideduardo]

Also, knowing what a dump most of Brazil is ...

Hyperbole much?

 

[landtuna]

Hyperbole much?

Not at all. While most of Brazil is forested back country the major cities, and Rio in particular, are definitely third world. Lots of poverty, slums, street people, crime and pollution. Just a few days ago on NBC Nightly News there were several stories about the terrible condition of the water where sailing and swimming competitions were to be held. Levels of chloroform and other harmful products were making athletes in training sick. Trash and debris lined the shores. Brazilian officials have promised to have it all cleaned up in time for the Games but that is only one year away and very doubtful.

 

[davideduardo]

Not at all. While most of Brazil is forested back country the major cities, and Rio in particular, are definitely third world. Lots of poverty, slums, street people, crime and pollution. Just a few days ago on NBC Nightly News there were several stories about the terrible condition of the water where sailing and swimming competitions were to be held. Levels of chloroform and other harmful products were making athletes in training sick. Trash and debris lined the shores. Brazilian officials have promised to have it all cleaned up in time for the Games but that is only one year away and very doubtful.

I do Brazil quite a bit, and like any large nation, there are pockets of deep poverty and disrepair in the larger cities. That goes for any big US city, too, from New York to LA.

And, like any not fully developed nation, the level of poverty can be seen as extreme in some instances. But there is a rapidly growing middle class, a reasonably stable economy and much of the country is delightful and beautiful. The medium size cities from Recife to Porto Alegre to Belo Horizonte are very, very nice.

I don't think anyone would want to do much swimming in the East River, either. In the case of the US, we'd select a different venue. I don't know why, with Brazil being so large, they did not select a less urban location... they have enough places with rivers and estuaries and such to make that very practical and possible.

 

[landtuna]

I do Brazil quite a bit, and like any large nation, there are pockets of deep poverty and disrepair in the larger cities. That goes for any big US city, too, from New York to LA.

Perhaps I should have omitted my criticism of Brazil, the country, and concentrated on Rio since that is where the Games will be held. I don't know what the Olympic Committee was smoking when they voted for Rio but I can hardly wait for all the stories of crime and substandard venues. Very poor choice IMHO but then I won't be watching anyway. It just seems like a terrible injustice to the citizens of Brazil to spend their government money in this manner when there are so many other and worthwhile uses it could be put to.