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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

PostHeaderIcon Wednesday Night Olympic Updates: Great TV Ratings

A rain delay in Beijing set aside some of the outdoor events today like the BMX races. However, the rain did not stop Women's Beach Volleyball! And the rain can't stop the monster Olympic TV Ratings that NBC is throwing around.

NBC claims that last Saturday night the Michael Phelps swim meet was the highest watch program since 1990.
"Yeah, sure, television ratings have been strong. Average prime time viewership was up 15% during the first nine days compared with the 2004 games in Athens. Why? Two words: Michael Phelps."
And how about the online content? Will it eat into the TV lineup?

Experts say "No." In fact, they indicate that it helps the prime time events as people used the online content to fill in at work, while commuting, or in between events. With higher TV ratings and a successful online venture it looks good for upcoming Olympics to broadcast more and more events online.

"As a result, International Olympics officials look forward to an expected sharp jump in revenue from broadcast and sponsorship fees for the 2014 winter games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2016 Summer Games in London. The bulk of broadcast rights for those two games will go out for bid next year.

To the delight of Olympics organizers, broadcasters are finding that as they provide hundreds more hours of Olympics footage to feed streaming video for the internet and even mobile phone screens, it does not eat into television viewership. Instead, people watch Olympics on television while at home, then watch it online while commuting or at work.

"People overall are consuming more media," Lumme said.

At one point in recent days, Lumme said, 1.1 million people in Britain were watching video online of British athletes. NBCOlympics.com, which provides online streaming of video, is receiving 30 times more video views now than during the Athens Games, he added."


Jamaica's Usain Bolt celebrates winning the gold in the men's 200-meter final during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium  at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

Like lightning, Bolt sets record in Olympic 200m

BEIJING - Arms churning high, face twisted in pain as he sprinted toward the finish line, Usain Bolt kept glancing at the clock. The win in the Olympic 200 meters was a given, his second gold medal of the Beijing Games assured. This was now about a world record. About racing against history.

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Welcome to Olympic Updates, my continuing blog to following the Olympic Games. Founded in 2007, I have enjoyed providing news and information on the 2008 Beijing Summer Games and I look forward to keeping you up to date on the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

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