Some clarifications about NBC, ratings, and making money: The most recent statement from NBC is that they came close to breaking even and may possibly even make some profits.
Don't believe NBC for a second, this is just bunkum directed at angry investors. Most ads are already sold. Whatever money they're going to make off these Olympics is all mostly made and set in stone. There are last minute ad buys, but with so many of the marquee events with American contenders over, if they didn't make a profit already on these, they're not about to start now. Even now, NBC has started replacing live Olympics coverage with interviews and specials on Michael Phelps to try to get its ratings momentum going, now that their biggest star, Phelps, will no longer be competing.
Now there are some ways the huge ratings could have helped NBC in the future. For instance, when selling ads for Sochi Olympics, NBC could try to use the success of the London Olympics as an example. This will be scoffed at. General Anglophilia and the very tight relationships between the US and the UK fueled the ratings for the London Olympics. Well guess what? The Sochi Olympics will take place in a country the US has had a frigid relationship with, even now. To make things worse, NBC coverage have been fanning the anti-Russian sentiments during the women's gymnastics coverage. Skating coverage has been doing that for years, too. Remember when that little toad Jay Leno mocked Irina Slutskaya's last name? Americans in general will not be feeling the same warm fuzzies they have towards the UK hosts when Sochi rolls around. If anything, the success of the London Olympics' ratings in the US portends under-performing ratings for Sochi. Another driver of the NBC ratings is the unprecedented Olympic star Michael Phelps. There is no equivalent in the Winter Olympics (or the Summer Olympics, really). As for the Rio Olympics, the good news is that Americans don't have any animosity towards Brazil. But there's no special regard, either. It'll be just like any Olympics hosted in an exotic locale. And unless Phelps unretires, the ratings will be business as usual, as will the ad rates.
Another way the Olympics is supposed to help NBC is to help them launch hit new TV shows that will give them ratings for years beyond the Olympics. So yeah, remember all those hit shows the Vancouver Olympics launched? Heck, remember any hit shows on NBC? There's The Voice... Despite the massive platform of the Vancouver Olympics and the Super Bowl, NBC has failed to launch even a moderately successful regular lineup. That's why outside of sporting events, which NBC loses money on, the network is often in 5th place (after CBS, FOX, ABC and Univision).
When NBC first bought the rights to these Olympics for about 1.2 billion dollars (they also bought the rights to other Olympics as part of a 4 billion + deal), the general consensus was that they paid about 500 million dollars too much. NBC stock immediately tumbled on the news of their imprudent purchase. And now, in an economy that's become much worse, NBC honestly expects anyone to believe they're even close to making a profit on the London games? Please.
Instead, the main effect of NBC's record ratings of these games will be as follows: NBC execs have already publicly stated that the massive ratings are a giant seal of approval for how they've been covering the Olympics. Tape-delays are great! Everybody knowing the results in advance actually boosts ratings,
said one delusional exec. Coverage that focuses on American athletes to the complete exclusion of competitors from any other country is the way to go! In the Sochi Olympics, we'll be very lucky to see more than 4 programs in each segment of the men's competition (3 if the US only qualifies 2 men). Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic will be politely reminded by the network brass to stop being so nice about non-American competitors (if NBC can force the Russian-born Nastia Liukin to do an anti-Russian gymnastics fluff piece, Canadian Bezic will be made to fall in line as well). If the opening ceremonies contain a performance from the Bolshoi ballet, expect that to be replaced with an interview with Shaun White, because ballet just isn't "tailored for the U.S. audience".
]! My only regret is that the superstar Maroney might have missed this once-in-a-lifetime encounter -- presumably because of the vault final.
I ve managed not to know the results so far until I ll go home and watch tonight!!
