Olympics

[Hugh Conway]

Spending the week in LA this week I can vouch for that.

 

less traffic than Seattle

[ZimZam]

Who wants it next? Not the cash cow it once was.

 

Bidding for the American broadcast rights for the 2014 and 2016 Olympics is set to begin within the next year, and a recent article in the Sports Business Journal suggests that network interest has been tepid, at best.

 

NBC only has rights to the Games through the 2012 London Games. A fierce bidding war has been expected between NBC, FOX, ESPN and Turner for the exclusive rights to the Sochi and Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but now that NBC is reportedly set to finish Vancouver $200 million in the red, the eagerness to air the Games has waned.

 

As SBJ points out, all of this could be a negotiating ploy by networks. However, the broadcasters should have legitimate concerns about laying out $2.1 billion (the price NBC paid for Beijing and Vancouver) in rights and countless more in production fees for what amounts to less than 5 percent of their prime-time schedules. The interest will certainly pick back up, but the IOC shouldn't be surprised if it nets less than what NBC paid. It's a depressed marketplace.

 

So where will the Games end up? With its current tumult and merger with Comcast, NBC is a huge question mark. The net has had the Summer Games since 1992 and the Winter Olympics since 1998, but these things go in cycles, so history will mean next to nothing. (See: Tonight Show, The)

 

You can trust that Rupert Murdoch will only authorize a legitimate bid for the Olympics if it makes financial sense for FOX's bottom line. And, if it's determined that going after the Games is a good money move, don't expect Murdoch to say so beforehand. Remember, when FOX grabbed NFL rights in 1994, it was a huge surprise. FOX won't overplay its hand.

 

ESPN seems to be the natural fit. The Disney-owned company is always looking to add sports properties, and getting two Olympics to go with NFL, MLB, NCAA and World Cup broadcasts further advances the network's role as the go-to broadcaster for all sporting events. Plus, ESPN has a number of networks (ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPNU) on which to air coverage. Having the highest subscriber fees on cable doesn't hurt either.

 

One of the biggest drawbacks to ESPN's potential bid is what the net would do with its other sports properties during the Games. The Summer slate would only necessitate skipping a few baseball games and some meaningless preseason NFL contests. But in the Winter, ESPN has NBA and NCAA basketball to air. This wouldn't preclude the net from airing the Olympics, but don't expect David Stern to be happy that his league will be bumped from main coverage for two weeks (nor will ESPN be pleased at having to pay full rights for broadcasting an abbreviated schedule).

 

Even in a 500-channel world, airing Olympics is still a big deal. In fact, it's one of the few big deals left in broadcast television. Sometime in the next year, one network will step up and pay a lot of money for the privilege. Until then, though, they'll do everything in their power to keep that amount as low as possible.

[jmace]

I heard NBC isnt event airing them live, they delayed the US Canada game or some shit, no wonder they are in the red

[pink]

USA Gold in Ice Hockey. Canada Gold in Ice Dancing. Nuff said.

 

Well its been 30 years since you won Hockey gold so you would figure it has to come sometime but you cant even win at dancing on skates so...

 

 

and it's going on 20 years since a canadian team has won the cup.... thanks to mr. roy

[murraysovereign]

I heard NBC isnt event airing them live, they delayed the US Canada game or some shit, no wonder they are in the red

 

I think the only thing NBC is airing live is figure skating - everything else gets taped and shuffled around to fit the remaining airtime. While I still think I prefer CBC's coverage of Olympics, the current CTV broadcast has done a good job of airing events live. It helps they're airing different events on CTV, TSN, and even CPAC, so most everything is live if you don't mind channel-hopping a little. Or you can go to APTN and listen to hockey games in Inuktitut, or biathlon in Ojibway...

 

The biggest reason for NBC's revenue problem is the games are airing at a time when all the big $$$ advertisers are broke, or at the very least hurting, so ad revenues are way down from what was projected back when the rights were being sold. Ad spending will be back up again for London and Sochi, maybe not as high as it was a few years ago, but way better than right now. Even by Beijing, companies were tightening up the marketing budgets.

 

[jmace]

While I still think I prefer CBC's coverage of Olympics,

 

We stole Brian so shouldnt be much different for you

 

It helps they're airing different events on CTV, TSN, and even CPAC

 

and sports net, and Omni, and OLN and APTN and RDS and V

 

the most coverage of the Olympics ever, we are airing every game in its entirety live.

 

Ad spending will be back up again for London and Sochi

 

Really, you think you can charge high prices for hockey games at 9 in the morning or overnight, I wouldnt be surprised to see CTV sell 2012 to the public broadcaster for those exact reasons.

 

 

[murraysovereign]

Can I put in a request? More Kelly VanderBeek, please. Closeups wherever possible.

 

Thanks

[olyclimber]

Canada has now pulled even in the Gold medal count with the US, and Germany has more gold and silver medals than the US. THINGS ARE HEATING UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[G-spotter]

Heh... and we puck fucked the Russians last night!

[olyclimber]

what do you mean "we". do you have a pencil in your pocket? LOLOMFGHAHAHAHAHAH

[murraysovereign]

Canada has now pulled even in the Gold medal count with the US, and Germany has more gold and silver medals than the US. THINGS ARE HEATING UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

But 12 Bronze! You Yanks absolutely own third place!

[olyclimber]

This Olympic game structure is tiresome in deciding who is the better nation. We should just have a war and be done with it.

[AlpineK]

Here's a war worth fighting again and again

 

[img:center]http://www.mentalfloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/Pig-War-Map.jpg[/img]

 

Pig War

[Hugh Conway]

Here's a war worth fighting again and again

 

damnit man 54-40 or fight! We want all of BC!

[j_b]

This Olympic game structure is tiresome in deciding who is the better nation. We should just have a war and be done with it.

 

some claim the Olympics are proxies for wars that decrease the chances of real wars from happening. I personally never understood how exacerbating nationalism ever decreased the chance of war.

[G-spotter]

Who needs nationalism to have war when you got religion?

 

BTW your women's team is getting spanked right now.

There was even a girl on girl fight

RAWR

[murraysovereign]

Good job on the nordic combined - gold and silver must be a North American first. The Scandinavians will be in shock.

[tvashtarkatena]

Canadian women's curling...deeeee-licious.

[G-spotter]

Our women's team made your women's team cry. A silver, boo hoo

[bstach]

Canadaian men's hockey team will make the USA men's hockey team cry on Sunday.

 

Two other strong prospects for Canadian gold are men and women's curling. Canada will pwn the gold podium.

[jon]

You guys are going to spend more time hitting Kessler then putting the puck in the net.

 

What a change from the 70s and 80s when the communists owned all the medals.

 

http://2010games.nytimes.com/medals/map.html

[prole]

[olyclimber]

[Doug]

sexy as all hell. really.

[ivan]

dude, is that starbuck from bsg!?!

 

plenty sexy - might want to wash your willy off in the sink right after though