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Olympic broadcast idea
- Thread starter RALfan
- Start date
J
Joseph_Gallant
Guest
I don't think the International Olympic Committee or the organizing committees of future Olympics would like seeing nearly all American TV coverage being put on cable.
I suspect the IOC wants major events of the Olympics on free over-the-air TV, both here in the United States and elsewhere.
The problem for NBC this time around is that for the first time in decades, rival networks are agressively counterprogramming the Olympics. Traditionally, the Olympics receive very little in the way of strong opposition. Often, the Olympics have faced reruns on other networks.
As an example, the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia were held during the last two weeks of September, the usual start of the TV season. For the most part, rival networks delayed the start of the Fall season until after the Olympics ended.
For the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, ABC, CBS, Fox and the CW will have to face this fact: Much of NBC's prime-time Olympic coverage in 2010 will be live, especially figure-skating. Do ABC, CBS, Fox and the CW decide to agressively counterprogram live Olympic coverage or decide that such a tactic would not work against prime-time coverage that will for the most part be live??
I suspect the IOC wants major events of the Olympics on free over-the-air TV, both here in the United States and elsewhere.
The problem for NBC this time around is that for the first time in decades, rival networks are agressively counterprogramming the Olympics. Traditionally, the Olympics receive very little in the way of strong opposition. Often, the Olympics have faced reruns on other networks.
As an example, the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia were held during the last two weeks of September, the usual start of the TV season. For the most part, rival networks delayed the start of the Fall season until after the Olympics ended.
For the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, ABC, CBS, Fox and the CW will have to face this fact: Much of NBC's prime-time Olympic coverage in 2010 will be live, especially figure-skating. Do ABC, CBS, Fox and the CW decide to agressively counterprogram live Olympic coverage or decide that such a tactic would not work against prime-time coverage that will for the most part be live??
F
frankc
Guest
People are acting like the Olympics are pulling in 9 million viewers a night. The Olympics are still pulling in somewhere in the 20-25 million viewer range a night (which is phenomenal in this day and age), and I think NBC (or any other network) would take those ratings anyday.
M
mrpariot
Guest
> People are acting like the Olympics are pulling in 9 million
> viewers a night. The Olympics are still pulling in somewhere
> in the 20-25 million viewer range a night (which is
> phenomenal in this day and age), and I think NBC (or any
> other network) would take those ratings anyday.
>
In any other circumstance, I'd agree with that. But when "American Idol" and "House" can outdraw ANY night of Olympic coverage, there's a problem someplace.
> viewers a night. The Olympics are still pulling in somewhere
> in the 20-25 million viewer range a night (which is
> phenomenal in this day and age), and I think NBC (or any
> other network) would take those ratings anyday.
>
In any other circumstance, I'd agree with that. But when "American Idol" and "House" can outdraw ANY night of Olympic coverage, there's a problem someplace.
T
Tom_Desmond
Guest
> Seeing how NBC is struggling with the Olympics, I think
> someday the IOC should try this idea:
>
> If the Olympics are held in North America, present them on
> broadcast television. Otherwise, show the games exclusively
> on cable (preferrably ESPN) save for the opening and closing
> ceremonies.
What a terrible idea. Move the Olympics to cable and both ratings and visibility will plummet. It is in the IOC's best interest to preserve the future value of Olympics rights in the U.S. to ensure that any coverage includes a broadcast component.
> someday the IOC should try this idea:
>
> If the Olympics are held in North America, present them on
> broadcast television. Otherwise, show the games exclusively
> on cable (preferrably ESPN) save for the opening and closing
> ceremonies.
What a terrible idea. Move the Olympics to cable and both ratings and visibility will plummet. It is in the IOC's best interest to preserve the future value of Olympics rights in the U.S. to ensure that any coverage includes a broadcast component.
> > People are acting like the Olympics are pulling in 9
> million
> > viewers a night. The Olympics are still pulling in
> somewhere
> > in the 20-25 million viewer range a night (which is
> > phenomenal in this day and age), and I think NBC (or any
> > other network) would take those ratings anyday.
> >
> In any other circumstance, I'd agree with that. But when
> "American Idol" and "House" can outdraw ANY night of Olympic
> coverage, there's a problem someplace.
>
Or Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives last Sunday. I think it's obvious that a lot of people don't want to watch the Olympics and are glad to have an alternative. Personally I never saw the value in the other networks laying down and showing reruns.
> million
> > viewers a night. The Olympics are still pulling in
> somewhere
> > in the 20-25 million viewer range a night (which is
> > phenomenal in this day and age), and I think NBC (or any
> > other network) would take those ratings anyday.
> >
> In any other circumstance, I'd agree with that. But when
> "American Idol" and "House" can outdraw ANY night of Olympic
> coverage, there's a problem someplace.
>
Or Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives last Sunday. I think it's obvious that a lot of people don't want to watch the Olympics and are glad to have an alternative. Personally I never saw the value in the other networks laying down and showing reruns.
S
studiotwenty
Guest
>
> Or Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives last Sunday. I
> think it's obvious that a lot of people don't want to watch
> the Olympics and are glad to have an alternative. Personally
> I never saw the value in the other networks laying down and
> showing reruns.
>
Heres the theory. Like some Americans, I never saw a minute of "Greys Anatomy". Posting a repeat gives me the opportunity to catch up on a story line I might have missed. Cable has been doing this for years. USA has had great success with multiple repeats of "Monk" and "The Dead Zone".
As for the top poster, sorry that you didnt get your "Will and Grace" fix this week, but chill dude...itll be back for those "very special episodes".....
> Or Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives last Sunday. I
> think it's obvious that a lot of people don't want to watch
> the Olympics and are glad to have an alternative. Personally
> I never saw the value in the other networks laying down and
> showing reruns.
>
Heres the theory. Like some Americans, I never saw a minute of "Greys Anatomy". Posting a repeat gives me the opportunity to catch up on a story line I might have missed. Cable has been doing this for years. USA has had great success with multiple repeats of "Monk" and "The Dead Zone".
As for the top poster, sorry that you didnt get your "Will and Grace" fix this week, but chill dude...itll be back for those "very special episodes".....
Maybe I'm alone but I still think one of the problems is the split cycles between the Winter and Summer games. In the past, every four years there was an "Olympic Year," and even if you didn't watch that much of the Winters, it got you ready for the Summers. Splitting the two may make the IOC's life easier (not to mention easing network budgets a bit) but I think it hurts the general interest.
> Maybe I'm alone but I still think one of the problems is the
> split cycles between the Winter and Summer games. In the
> past, every four years there was an "Olympic Year," and even
> if you didn't watch that much of the Winters, it got you
> ready for the Summers. Splitting the two may make the IOC's
> life easier (not to mention easing network budgets a bit)
> but I think it hurts the general interest.
I agree. Since the schedule change, the only Winter Olympics that got 'spectacular' ratings were 1994 Lillehammer and 2002 Salt Lake City...and that was mostly due to circumstances(the 'Tonya and Nancy' scandal led to Super Bowl-sized ratings when skating was on, and maybe slightly better than average numbers for the rest, as sme of the curiousity seekers stayed tuned. And obviously, Olympic Games held in the U.S. do better than those held elsewhere, especially in winter.)
I remember being excited when they changed the Olympic cycle, since I'd enjoyed the Barcelona Games, and wouldn't have to wait four years for Lillehammer.
Putting aside 'SkateGate', I still think those are my favorite Winter Olympics.
By the time Nagano came along in '98, though, it just wasn't the same. Maybe it was some of the new 'extreme sports' they added to try to generate interest, but the Winter games haven't done much for me since. Even the novelty of curling
as a regular part of the coverage wore off between 2002 and this year.
> split cycles between the Winter and Summer games. In the
> past, every four years there was an "Olympic Year," and even
> if you didn't watch that much of the Winters, it got you
> ready for the Summers. Splitting the two may make the IOC's
> life easier (not to mention easing network budgets a bit)
> but I think it hurts the general interest.
I agree. Since the schedule change, the only Winter Olympics that got 'spectacular' ratings were 1994 Lillehammer and 2002 Salt Lake City...and that was mostly due to circumstances(the 'Tonya and Nancy' scandal led to Super Bowl-sized ratings when skating was on, and maybe slightly better than average numbers for the rest, as sme of the curiousity seekers stayed tuned. And obviously, Olympic Games held in the U.S. do better than those held elsewhere, especially in winter.)
I remember being excited when they changed the Olympic cycle, since I'd enjoyed the Barcelona Games, and wouldn't have to wait four years for Lillehammer.
Putting aside 'SkateGate', I still think those are my favorite Winter Olympics.
By the time Nagano came along in '98, though, it just wasn't the same. Maybe it was some of the new 'extreme sports' they added to try to generate interest, but the Winter games haven't done much for me since. Even the novelty of curling
as a regular part of the coverage wore off between 2002 and this year.
J
Joseph_Gallant
Guest
It is my undedstanding that the major reason the IOC moved the Winter Olympics from the same year as the Summer Games was that one night during the 1988 Wintyer Games in Calgary, ABC cut away briefly from live figure-skating several times to cover the New Hampshire Presidential primary.
The IOC was afraid that future U.S. telecasts of the Winter Games might also be disrupted for coverage of the beginning of the U.S. Presidential primary season.
(Since 1988, the Presidential primary season has started even earlier; I wouldn't be surprised if the first 2008 primaries actually take place in the late Fall of 2007!)
The IOC was afraid that future U.S. telecasts of the Winter Games might also be disrupted for coverage of the beginning of the U.S. Presidential primary season.
(Since 1988, the Presidential primary season has started even earlier; I wouldn't be surprised if the first 2008 primaries actually take place in the late Fall of 2007!)
> It is my undedstanding that the major reason the IOC moved
> the Winter Olympics from the same year as the Summer Games
> was that one night during the 1988 Wintyer Games in Calgary,
> ABC cut away briefly from live figure-skating several times
> to cover the New Hampshire Presidential primary.
>
It is my understanding that they moved the Winter Games to give Bryant Gumbel more opportunity to whine about how they're not worth watching.;-)
> the Winter Olympics from the same year as the Summer Games
> was that one night during the 1988 Wintyer Games in Calgary,
> ABC cut away briefly from live figure-skating several times
> to cover the New Hampshire Presidential primary.
>
It is my understanding that they moved the Winter Games to give Bryant Gumbel more opportunity to whine about how they're not worth watching.;-)
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