The 209m viewers for an unprecedented 3,600 hours of coverage on seven NBCU channels in the first 15 days of the Beijing Games put it on track to surpass the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as the most watched event in US television history, Jeff Zucker told the Financial Times.
NBCU had seen a healthy return on its $894m investment in exclusive rights to the Games, said Mr Zucker, although he added that estimates that it could make as much as $100m profit were too high.
“Obviously we’ll make a profit here,” he said, noting that the company had sold an additional $25m of Olympic advertising inventory after media buyers realised the Games were attracting larger audiences than expected…
Mr Zucker highlighted a “halo effect” of NBCU’s Olympic success on the rest of the group’s content.“I think there’s a better feeling about NBC than we have seen for years. We have advertisers who were delivered far more ratings points than they imagined or than we promised, and morale in the company is very high.”
Audiences for the nightly news programme on the core NBC network were up 31 per cent during the Games when compared to Athens four years ago.
When push came to shove, viewers enjoyed the best sports programming ever.
The athletics events were my personal favorites – after the football, of course.
I must admit I prefer sports as entertainment over news as entertainment.
Probably the last comment on topic, as well.
And the Silverlight / NBC / online HD video thing?
US bound IP addresses only !!!
// idiot policy
Perhaps GE will SELL NBC/U WHILE IT’S HOT, after the Olympics. It performance with regular broadcasting is not inspiring !!!
Aside from some heavy handed judging leaning toward the Chinese during womens gymnastics, I thought the Olympics were very impressive. For a pinko commie country. 🙂
Fascinating … I haven’t watch a second of the coverage. I don’t care. I am tired of hearing about the Chinese and the Olympics even tangentially. As far as I can tell the whole thing has been a cluster f*ck.
#5 – Shylock
I’d have to agree. I was not expecting much beforehand, but I thought it was pretty well done, all in all. I’m not interested in all sports, and it was a little difficult to figure out when something I AM interested in was going to be on, but overall I thought it was pretty well done. I even liked Jackie Chan singing at the closing ceremony (didn’t wath the opening, with the bogus fireworks.)
Good that NBC should make a profit.
Not all broadcasters in recent history have been so lucky.
Notwithstanding the Chinese cheating, I really liked most of what happened and all those who put the games together did an amazing job.
Wow. I didn’t watch a second of it, nor did anyone else I know.
Still have to chuckle like #5 or #9 who neither read beyond the headlines or comprehend (apparently) the topic.
#5 – the CGT fireworks at the opening totaled 29 seconds of the whole opening ceremony. (gasp)
#9 – nice to see your cordless crystal ball still works. Though I imagine you said much the same before the Olympics.
I watched it here and there. Thee were 3 channels of it so, it was hard to get away. My only complaint was that they didn’t show events that had no Americans in the race. IMHO, the coverage would have been better if they showed the final races/dives/jumps/throws for all of the events rather than all of the heats that the Americans raced.
I like the games. I like the competition. I will watch the race even when America is not represented.
I watched the opening, the ending, and the swimming / diving … Okay, more like “tolerated” watching all that. Far too many commercials breaking the flow — couldn’t they have waited ’til the ceremonies fore and aft were finished?
“Fore and aft” — opening and closing ceremonies == no commercials during those times, alright for them everywhere else.
It amazes me how things like this bring out nothing but cynicism and naysayers.
for the last two weeks My wife and I and two Daughters have been glued to the evening broadcasts of the games and for the most part of it enjoyed every minute of it. It made for great family time and my girls (11 and 13) saw and learned a great deal about sports they don’t necessarily know about. There were great stories that came out of the games Phelps, Bolt, The Gymnastics (even with the contoversies), Volleyball (Beach and Indoor), The South African Open water swimmer (her name escapes me) who came in 16th in spite of losing half a leg in an accident when she was younger, the Women’s Soccer Team redeeming themselves against Brazil, The dominance of the Jamaican Sprinters, Afghanistan and Bahrain winning there first medals ever, I can go on and on.
Those that “didn’t bother to watch” for whatever reason really missed out.
Were there too many commercials? Perhaps.
But hell NBC isn’t in it to be Mr. Nice Guy, the put in a hell of an investment and it turned out pretty well from our couch.
i didnt watch that crap either……………..
watching sports is boring as hell, doing sports (and not the money makers) of the one or two i like is mildly entertaining, and i wish i could get back out on a bike again……….. 🙁
Angel Di Maria…what a goal!
I watched perhaps an hour, total of the Olympics. I have no interest whatsoever in the opening or closing pageants, or a so called amateur basketball game with Kobie Bryant playing, or the equestrian parts (the medal should go to the horse!) or the endless blather of the commentators.
I really don’t care for the swimming. Who wants to watch a bunch of splashing water with arms and legs sticking out?
I did enjoy the diving, and a bit of the gymnastics, but the whole shebang has reminded me to avoid “Made in China” when possible.
Not that it is possible very often these days.
ugh, the MSNBC All-American Nikelympics Vs the World event where they only air the events where the US athletes are winning.
That’s another reason to kill Samaranch for selling out the Olympics.
209million??
DONT THINK SO..
I know people that were upset of all the pre-empted programming..
Some liked Ladies Volley ball.
Some liked the Basketball.
I got more off the NET, and the sports I wanted to see, then a few hours of the finals.
209million??
I know for SURE that 300million, men, women, children, that the Kids didnt watch much, and thats a Good 20%+. then lets add 10% for the Old folks, which didnt watch.
Then lets mess up the middle and say 30% DIDNT watch..
Iv already hit 60%..Which certainly ISNT 209million.
And I KNOW, the Neilsons will take AT LEAST 1 month to figure out the numbers.
Disgustingly poor coverage from NBC, dumbed down for us dumb Americans. So many sports didn’t even get a mention, let alone any actual coverage. And the events that were covered were ruined by NBC’s delaying everything (west coast) to the extreme despite using their considerable influence to have specific events scheduled for mornings in Beijing to conincide with “prime time” in the USA. I’m so thankful for the Internet which allowed me to see the events I wanted to see, in some cases even before NBC aired them.