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 ...
2014 - during the heady years of Barack Obama. Good times - no wonder NBC wanted to lock down the Olympics.
The only event I saw was some curling last night, because it was on in a restaurant during dinner. I used to love watching. But the networks ruined everything.
One woman on Twitter proclaimed the Olympics were “over for me. My lasting impression will be fake snow against a backdrop of 87 nuclear reactors in a country with a despicable human rights record during a pandemic. And kids who can look forward to years of therapy.”
It’s simple for me. Eff China, and eff NBC. They can’t make me watch - yet.
“... during a pandemic.”
Which the host country started.
Well, the Closing Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics are happening now...but I can’t watch it. I got up early so I could watch it live. Unfortunately, NBC isn’t showing it live over broadcast. They’re showing it live on their streaming service, Peacock. AND... it’ll cost you a monthly subscription fee to watch it.
That being said, within the next couple hours, the Flame will be extinguished until it is re-lit for the Paris 2024 Summer Games. This time, I am not sad to see it go. In my opinion, these Games were a disaster, played in a country that should not have hosted them. (In fact, NO country with a totalitarian government should EVER be considered for an Olympics.)
The fallout from these Games may have generated a killing blow to the idea of the Games in general. Unless the IOC is willing to make wholesale changes in how it conducts its business and how the individual governing bodies of the various sports do theirs, the Games aren’t worth putting on.
I didn’t used to think this way, but after these Games...
I just shake my head in sadness and disgust.
This Olympics has come and gone with all the strength of a popcorn f*rt. No one paid attention and I would have totally forgotten it was even going on if not for updates heard on the radio while driving. Good on NBC for taking a financial beating.
As part of the ceremony..I hear the Chinese will release thousands of bats.
A good summary!
That and Michaela Schriffin striking out.
Yes!
The CCP bought the IOC, just as it bought the WHO, and half the politicians in the USA.
2014 NBC gets olympics
Following Olympics take place in Sochi, Rio, Pyeongjang, Tokyo and Beijing.
The Summer Olympics should always take place in a Northern-Hemisphere, cosmpolitan, first-world, wealthy city. London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, maybe Chicago, Baltimore-Washington, Barcelona, Madrid, Toronto. Moscow qualifies, but no for political reasons. Sydney, Tokyo and Seoul qualify, but why pretend time zones and seasons don’t matter? These were put where they were for Chinese money.
Winter Olympics should be near such places, typically Italy, France, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Northern California, New Hampshire, British Columbia. San Diego or East Tennessee makes more sense than Soshi.
Wonder how makegoods figure into the profit/loss calculation...
From last year and the summer games...
https://www.nexttv.com/news/nbc-issuing-make-goods-as-olympic-ratings-fall-short
NBC ruined the Olympics for me long before China.
The Winter Games have never been that popular in America and have always been the +1 of the Olympics TV contract. This doesn’t really change anything.
Olympics haven’t been the same since Jim McCay left.
Gitmo might be a good place for the summer games, or Puerto Rico or Haiti, just to help build the local economy.
Winter Games? Goose Bay, Labrador. the USAF base there was considered "Isolated, Remote" and there's no reason to think that much has changed.
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