#nbcfail economics

Written by

BuzzMachine:

Reading the #nbcfail hashtag has been at least as entertaining as much of NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. It’s also enlightening — economically enlightening. The people formerly known as the audience have a voice and boy are they using it to complain about NBC’s tape delays of races and the opening ceremonies, about its tasteless decision to block the UK tribute to its 7/7 victims, and about its commentators’ idiocies. The counterargument has been an economic one: NBC has to maximize commercial revenue, which means maximizing prime time viewership, to recoup the billions paid for the rights to broadcast, billions that pay for the stadiums and security and ceremony. The argument is also made that NBC’s strategy is working because it is getting record ratings.

What do you think? Are you watching the Olympics live, either on TV or online? Or are you waiting for the evening recaps? Thanks to Dan Frakes for the link.



  • http://www.aichon.com Brad

    I disconnected my cable awhile ago, and I haven’t watched anything online yet, so I haven’t seen a single minute of video coverage for the Olympics yet. I might watch some highlights later, but so far I’ve just read a few reports.

  • No Change

    It doesn’t matter people hated Comcast for years that didn’t change anything except for them advertising that they will be on time of your next appointment. It is the same argument corps are saying about creating jobs and their power, etc. Just like govt. is in bed with Goldman Sachs, AT&T, Media companies.

    Those that can have moved on. poor people are stuck with over the air antennae TV. More and more sports will move to pay cable then we will see the end game. There is even talk of Congress selling the air waves for telecommunication. It might be best to destroy the current system and see how govt. will propagandize the populous without TV.

  • http://www.BarnesFamily.com/ davebarnes

    I never watch the Olympics so I don’t care about this.

  • Econ 101

    The question of economics doesn’t come up: - when they pay $30 million to Today Show anchors. - It doesn’t come up when Obama raise billions for campaign to spend on hand full of battle ground states buying TV ads. - It doesn’t come up when Lies are presented as one side of the story. - When the news people continually lie about global warming.

    Economics only matters when public goes against corporations. Only then they magically start loosing money.

  • Pierre de Coubertin’s ghost

    I don’t bother with the primetime coverage. I watch with the LiveExtra app. It’s the same as live streaming: none of the excruciating commentary, just the competitors and the event in the majority of cases. I don’t care about anyone’s “journey to the olympics,” just give me more events, especially the ones America historically doesn’t do well in or is so obscure that it only warrants three seconds if someone even medals.

  • http://www.acid-product.co.uk Ian Davies
    The argument is also made that NBC’s strategy is working because it is getting record ratings.

    I’m guessing that whatever ratings they’re getting are in spite of their strategy, not because of it.

  • http://twitter.com/Moeskido Moeskido

    I seek alternative means to watch the few bits I’m still interested in, like the opening ceremonies. I have no interest in NBC’s packaging, as it were.

  • http://twitter.com/timosdk Tim W

    I prefer the evening recap. Most people have a day job and cannot sit at home and watch tour de france and olympics all summer… Plus with all the events happening at the same time this makes sure that I am not missing something important. People will start chilling once it is nolonger the weekend and they dont have the option to watch live anyways.

  • franksspam

    I watch both on the weekend but will stick to primetime now simply because I’m working during the day. The only hard part is avoiding people talking about who won certain events.

  • Deborah M. Budd

    I’m watching prime time, but tend to know in advance what I can skip via results shared in early evening TV newscasts, or from online updates. Like Monday’s US Men’s self-destruct in gymnastics (although I did catch the Brit’s medal drama at the end of the NBC telecast). I’ll be watching more clips online this week. Thanks for sharing #nbcfail.