I doubt it. Since the major networks have gone HD in their broadcasts, it's too tempting to dial your TV to channel 6 and see the Olympics in all their hi-def glory. Watching things online is good for some things, but sports ain't it.
I don't think there will more internet viewers in this 2008 Olympics but 2012 could prove very interesting for broadcast television. There has already been alot of criticism of NBC for some of the live events being delayed.
It seems to me the Olympics is still very much a communal experience and that time online is still more individual than shared in real-time collectively. iTV, I'm sure, will transform the way in which the majority experience such an event in the near future!
I agree with the previous four posts. TV is definitely king. But I will defend the online footage for fans of obscure Olympic sports whose only chance of seeing their beloved sport is online. Sure, some sports like equestrian, rowing, and cycling are broadcast during the wee hours of the morn (the 1-4am block), but most people simply aren't willing to sacrifice sleep to watch TV. The online coverage provides a great alternative.
This just in from Podcasting News: "Last week, while we were wondering whether NBC risked losing the online audience with all the barriers it puts in front of people wanting to watch the Olympics, everybody else seemed to be worried that NBC’s Olympic coverage might melt the Internet.
Three days into the Olympics, the Internet hasn’t melted and it’s starting to look like NBC’s Olympic traffic is pretty ho-hum
For the first two days of coverage, NBC Online averaged about 3.3 million video streams.
3.3 millions streams sounds like a lot, until you consider that YouTube streams nearly 50 times that many videos every day."
I think so. I know I am. I tried to stay up late and the TV is constantly on the Olympics. I can't help but think I'm missing all the highlights. YouTube is my best friend at the moment.
7 Total
August 11, 2008 at 3:06pm by Lynne d Johnson
Though airing of the opening events were delayed for US viewers, "the event drew 34.2 million viewers, making it the biggest US broadcast since the Super Bowl." According to The Wall Street Journal, More viewers tuned in to watch the first two prime-time Olympics telecasts on NBC than any Summer Games in a decade -- even as the Games received record attention on the Internet.
August 11, 2008 at 3:22pm by Chris Dannen
I doubt it. Since the major networks have gone HD in their broadcasts, it's too tempting to dial your TV to channel 6 and see the Olympics in all their hi-def glory. Watching things online is good for some things, but sports ain't it.
August 11, 2008 at 4:19pm by Nicole Lind
I don't think there will more internet viewers in this 2008 Olympics but 2012 could prove very interesting for broadcast television. There has already been alot of criticism of NBC for some of the live events being delayed.
August 11, 2008 at 4:56pm by Bailey King
It seems to me the Olympics is still very much a communal experience and that time online is still more individual than shared in real-time collectively. iTV, I'm sure, will transform the way in which the majority experience such an event in the near future!
August 11, 2008 at 4:56pm by Brendan Collins
I agree with the previous four posts. TV is definitely king. But I will defend the online footage for fans of obscure Olympic sports whose only chance of seeing their beloved sport is online. Sure, some sports like equestrian, rowing, and cycling are broadcast during the wee hours of the morn (the 1-4am block), but most people simply aren't willing to sacrifice sleep to watch TV. The online coverage provides a great alternative.
August 11, 2008 at 5:25pm by Lynne d Johnson
This just in from Podcasting News: "Last week, while we were wondering whether NBC risked losing the online audience with all the barriers it puts in front of people wanting to watch the Olympics, everybody else seemed to be worried that NBC’s Olympic coverage might melt the Internet.
Three days into the Olympics, the Internet hasn’t melted and it’s starting to look like NBC’s Olympic traffic is pretty ho-hum
For the first two days of coverage, NBC Online averaged about 3.3 million video streams.
3.3 millions streams sounds like a lot, until you consider that YouTube streams nearly 50 times that many videos every day."
August 11, 2008 at 8:07pm by Austin Chu
I think so. I know I am. I tried to stay up late and the TV is constantly on the Olympics. I can't help but think I'm missing all the highlights. YouTube is my best friend at the moment.