NBC’s Olympic Coverage Fails to Meet the Gold Standard
The opening ceremonies of an Olympics are usually a good indicator of the two weeks that follow them. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the wizardry and precision of the Opening Ceremonies was matched by the record-breaking performances of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. The 2010 Vancouver Olympics, on the other hand, featured an agonizing four-minute delay as a technical error prevented a mechanical cauldron from forming for the lighting ceremony. This error has extended to the events themselves. Mind you, this error is not about the athletes, who have delivered exciting races and hard-hitting hockey, but rather from the media coverage of the events. Without a doubt, NBC’s handling of the Olympic Games has been atrocious and a disservice to anyone who remotely enjoys sports.
First, the lack of an HD version of MSNBC on DirecTV or Verizon FiOS means that some events do not get the benefit of high-definition coverage. For instance, last night’s US vs. Canada men’s hockey matchup, which NBC’s website declared as “the most anticipated game of the tournament so far”, was broadcast on MSNBC. CNBC and USA had limited curling coverage and no Olympic coverage, respectively, but they have HD channels. Since many sports bars and homes use DirecTV or Verizon as their provider, many people were stuck watching the game in standard definition. In 2010, this fact is unacceptable. High-definition coverage has changed the way that sports are watched and for a game of that magnitude to be broadcast in such a manner is ridiculous.
Making matters worse was the fact that NBC was broadcasting ice dancing, the redheaded stepchild of figure skating, while the hockey game was played. Instead of seeing a game that pundits have declared an instant classic, NBC thought it was more appropriate to show a sport whose biggest story was that a pair’s costumes offended Australian aborigines. This decision should have been an easy one for NBC: its home country was facing off against the hockey-crazed hosts. Yet, as we’ve seen with the Conan O’Brien/Jay Leno saga, when NBC has an easy decision they will drop the ball every time.
Does this event really make for better television than hockey?
Second, and most importantly, the use of tape delay in the events has ruined the desire to watch the Olympics. NBC faces a dilemma: they have valuable primetime space, but many of the events occur in the daytime. Thus, it has decided to broadcast many of the popular events on a tape delay so that they can gain valuable ratings. However, there is a problem with this decision. The primetime broadcasts are not geared with sports fans in mind. Many times, there is very little sports action and instead there are human-interest features about polar bears. Does anyone really tune into the Olympics to hear about polar bears? No! Put the sports on the screen; that’s why the viewers watch a sporting event.
Furthermore, because these events happen live, other major news organizations will tell the results of the events before NBC gets around to broadcasting them on tape delay. Major news sites like ESPN and social networks like Twitter will often have the results of the events anyone wants to watch before he or she can watch them. It’s frustrating for a sports fan to watch the events, which are built on drama and excitement, with suspense removed. What’s even more egregious is the fact that NBC also spoils the events. An anchor on the NBC evening news last night told me to “look away” if I didn’t want to know the results of the events that already happened but would be broadcasted later in the evening. I never thought that the news would require a “spoiler alert”, but thanks to NBC it’s a common occurrence.
The worst part about this practice is how unnecessary it is. These Winter Olympics are not in a place where the time difference makes it prohibitive to show the events live (like when the 2002 World Cup was in South Korea). They are on the West Coast. There is no reason why the events should be tape delayed for people in the United States, especially those who live on the West Coast (like the opening ceremonies were). This practice serves only to frustrate viewers who want to watch the games as they happen live.
If NBC really believes that the only way that they can attract viewers is through irrelevant, tape-delayed features, then there is a simple solution: broadcast the events live on its cable networks (USA, CNBC, MSNBC) and on the Internet. Then, in primetime, run the package of highlights and features, while having more live matchups on its cable networks. However, this solution would require NBC to embrace new media and the opportunities it provides. A sports fan’s best hope is that NBC, who Conan O’Brien gleefully reminded us is losing $200 million on these Olympics, decides to abandon the Olympics altogether. Then a real sports network could take over and give the viewers the coverage that they want (an ABC bid, using all of its many ESPN outlets, comes to mind). Until then, enjoy tape delays, standard definition, and ice dancing!
ya barkin up da wrong tree, not nbc’s fault about high def…tell virizon about ya problem