Posted on 02/20/2022 5:11:59 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
NEW YORK (AP) — There were many reasons to think NBC made a savvy business deal in 2014 when it locked up the American media rights to the Olympics through 2032 for $7.75 billion.
As the Beijing winter games come to a close, it’s harder to see them now.
These Olympics were a disaster for the network: a buzz-free, hermetically-sealed event in an authoritarian country a half-day’s time zone away, where the enduring images will be the emotional meltdown of Russian teen-agers after a drug-tainted figure skating competition and a bereft Mikaela Shiffrin, sitting on a ski slope wondering what went wrong.
Many American athletes underperformed, and arguably the most successful — freestyle skier Eileen Gu — competed for China.
Viewers stayed away in alarming numbers, and NBC has to wonder whether it was extraordinarily bad luck or if the brand of a once-unifying event for tens of millions of people is permanently tainted.
Through Tuesday, an average of 12.2 million people watched the Olympics in prime-time on NBC, cable or the Peacock streaming service, down 42 percent from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. The average for NBC alone was 10 million, a 47 percent drop, the Nielsen company said.
NBC has not yet said whether the Beijing games turned a profit or lost money.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Who won the live heart removal Gold?
It’s not much fun to watch anymore.
True, the most interesting thing about the Olympics this year is reading this thread.
And the athletes have become unlikeable, always in your face about something, and hating America.
Hmmm.. Lost half its viewers and still made a profit? Sounds a little fishy.
“87 nuclear reactor”
Thar part’s impressive, isn’t it?
They also tended to focus on America’s athletes. People tend to be more interested in a sporting event when they are encouraged to cheer for one side or the other. But the networks decided some time ago that was in poor form.
Now we have parity among the athletes and sports pyschologists and branding agents to keep the athletes from showing emotion or doing anything controversial that might impact their sponsoring deals.
Back then I hated McKay for always supporting the overdog while I rooted for the underdog. But now I miss that era when Nicklaus ruled the golf course, the Yankees ruled baseball, Ali ruled the ring, and Caitlyn/Bruce ruled the decathlon.
Weren’t the USSR and associates like East Germany using drugs bigtime in the 70s?
ABC had the coverage process for the Olympics nailed - which was based upon their weekly Wide World of Sports model.
Every night was set up with as much drama as could be wrung out of the scheduled events. All we viewers needed to do was avoid hearing any news throughout the day that might spoil what we would see that night.
No network since has been able to top their coverage.
Good. And good riddance. Next up professional sports.
Have not watched one minute.
Well if one of the criteria for hosting the games is that the country can’t have an authoritarian government then that should preclude Canada, Australia, Austria and NZ from consideration.
Go watch the documentary about the 1980 USA ice hockey team at Lake Placid. You can find it on YouTube. It will bring tears to your eyes. Guaranteed.
Millenials and younger increasingly do not own TVs. Information is filtered through social media
Also, people increasingly believe MSM is simply fake news. Just avoid everything they do, including if its presumably apolitical sports
Not that I care about the Olympics, but what they should do is just build a permanent facility in Greece and every Olympics is held there. Solves a lot of problems.
“Olympics haven’t been the same since Jim McCay left.”
The Thrill of Victory, and the Agony of Defeat.
James Kenneth McManus (Jim McKay)
Hosted Wide World of Sports for 37 years.
Covered 12 Olympics including the 1972 Munich games and the massacre of Israeli athletes. McKay remained on the air for 14 hours.
When I was a kid my father used to say “Our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized.” Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said there were 11 hostages; two were killed in their rooms this morn— yesterday morning, nine were killed at the airport tonight. They’re all gone.— McKay, 1972
Captained a minesweeper during WW2.
Married Mary Dempsey in 1948 and remained married to her until his death.
McKay was the first voice heard on television in Baltimore on station WMAR-TV.
Founded the Maryland Million Day. Twelve races over one day to promote horse racing in Maryland.
They don’t make’em like that anymore.
“ Not that I care about the Olympics, but what they should do is just build a permanent facility in Greece and every Olympics is held there. Solves a lot of problems.
”
There has been discussion of using a single site that already has all the facilities built like LA to be permanent hosts and then counties avoid all the expense of building venues which often end up rusting.
Can’t wait to watch...when do they(Olympics)start?
My family and I watched some of the coverage. We taped it to cut out the endless and absurd commercials and the meaningless babble. It was the worst presentation ever. The commentators were speed-reading and often barely coherent on our TV, some apparently made snarky comments (we missed that part), etc.
My family and I watched some of the coverage. We taped it to cut out the endless and absurd commercials and the meaningless babble. It was the worst presentation ever. The commentators were speed-reading and often barely coherent on our TV, some apparently made snarky comments (we missed that part), etc.
Stick a fork in the Olympics, they’re done.
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