Paris Summer Olympics 2024

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  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,411
    brianlux said:
    brianlux said:
    brianlux said:
    brianlux said:
    @brianlux
    There was a good light show, cirque de soliel performanes, a bit of music and now podium speeches. 

    I'm glad you got to see it!
    I'll try to find highlights later  (and then continue my search for a place to live that is more civilized, LOL!)
    @brianlux 😀 

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/ws/av-embeds/articles/c74lx7kxpj4o/p0jhw3qk/en-gb/

    The page reads, "This content is not available in your location."
    But thank you so much anyway.  How kind of you! 
    :heart:
    Same here?  we have internet like DVD's now and are location sensitive? stuuuuupid.

    It is dumb, but then DVD are region specific as well because the machines in various areas are different.  And power outlets vary from in different parts of the world.  
    What Plugs Are Used in Different Countries

    That just never made sense to me.

    This i do understand.  Most of the world is 50 cycle and we are 60.  The rest of the world also likes to run off 220 where we do 110.

    Don't get me started on hydraulic fittings either...

    Or metric vs archaic and absurd U.S. measurements.  12 inches?  Who came up with base 12 math for measuring length?  5280 feet in a mile?  Ridiculous!  32 fluid ounces?  Preposterous!
    @brianlux If you haven't watched the SNL skit Washington's dream please do so.

    https://x.com/kingkongfalls/status/1822246250550333721?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1822246250550333721|twgr^17dd15972f480e64a97117b65b864c25984c1bbd|twcon^s1_&ref_url=https://turnto10.com/news/entertainment/video-of-australian-breakdancer-goes-viral-after-she-scored-zero-points-during-olympics-breaking-breakdancing-2024-olympic-games-paris-france-rachael-gunn-raygun-b-girl-kangaroo-dance
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,411
    Welp...I guess all the people who boycotted and predicted ratings doom due to the dumb opening ceremony controversy are eating crow, as usual. 


    https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-08-09/olympics-ratings-win-the-games-are-big-for-nbc-and-peacock

    How the Paris Olympics spun ratings gold for NBC and Peacock

    USA womens basketball player Aja Wilson laughs with rapper Snoop Dogg a fixture of the Paris Olympics coverage on NBC
    USA women’s basketball player A’ja Wilson laughs with rapper Snoop Dogg, a fixture of the Paris Olympics coverage on NBC.
     
    (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
    By Stephen BattaglioStaff Writer 
    Aug. 9, 2024 12:59 PM PT

    The Paris Olympics have brought some joie de vivre to NBCUniversal.

    For the first 13 days of the Games, the Comcast Corp.-owned media company averaged 32.2 million viewers across its TV and streaming platforms, according to data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. The figure combines the live coverage shown during the day and the recorded highlights telecast and streamed in the evening.

    The Paris number is 76% higher than the audience for the Games in Tokyo, which were delayed a year and held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Olympics content streamed on NBC’s Peacock platform surpassed 19.1 billion minutes viewed, more than the 16.8 billion minutes watched on the service for all previous Olympics, winter and summer, combined.

    The contrast with Tokyo three years ago could hardly be more stark.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    At that time, the pandemic still loomed large and the biggest U.S. star, gymnast Simone Biles, departed early from much of the competition due to mental health issues. Those who competed did so in front of empty spectator stands, depriving viewers of the emotion and passion that family members and fans provide during the Games.

    In 2021, NBC had to give commercial time away to advertisers when the ratings came in lower than expected. The network typically holds back commercial time in the event that audience levels fall short of what brands are promised.

    But this year, the ratings performance exceeded NBC’s expectations, and the network is reaping the benefits.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    NBC was able to sell its reserve of commercials at an even higher price than the inventory purchased before the Games began. Among the major takers was the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, who abruptly became the presumptive Democratic nominee last month and needs to quickly introduce herself to the public.

    “It’s a nice piece of business for us,” NBCUniversal Media Group Chair Mark Lazarus said in a telephone interview.

    The additional sales helped push NBC’s ad revenue well past the previous record of $1.25 billion it took in during 2021. The final number for Paris will be the largest ad revenue take for any TV event in history, an NBC representative said. (Super Bowl Sundays typically generate about $1 billion for the network carrying the game.)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    NBC may have been fortunate that the Paris Olympics came along at a time when a deeply politically divided country could use a break.

    Two weeks before the Games began, former President Trump barely escaped an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. Not long after, President Biden made the stunning decision to pull out of his reelection campaign. Meanwhile, tensions are running high over Israel’s war with Hamas, creating fear over a larger military conflict in the Middle East.

    Team USAs Jade Carey from left Jordan Chiles Suni Lee and Simone Biles celebrate after winning gold
    Team USA’s Jade Carey, from left, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Simone Biles celebrate after winning gold during the women’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Games.
     
    (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

    Brent Magid, chief executive of the media research firm Magid, said a celebratory collective viewing experience may have been just what the public needed.

    “The Olympics are an in-the-moment activity that happens to be very positive in a world that is thinking very negatively,” Magid said. “Consumers are looking for escape in their lives, and this brings it in spades.”

    Having the City of Lights as a backdrop also helped. Athletes have been shown having fun on their off days, cheering on their competing comrades and hanging out with the network’s breakout Olympics coverage star, Snoop Dogg. Celebrities from Tom Brady to Lady Gaga have turned up in the crowd.

    Peacock, which trails other major streaming platforms with about 34 million subscribers, is a major beneficiary of the success. NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said new subscriber sign-ups have surpassed expectations, although the company has not revealed that number yet.

    Peacock streamed every sport live, including all 329 medal events. NBCUniversal enhanced the Peacock streaming experience by offering exclusive elements such as the addictive “Gold Zone” feature, which guided users to decisive moments in a variety of events as they happened, sometimes using multiple boxes on the screen.

    Making a multitude of events available on demand satisfied the streaming audience that wanted the choice and convenience of on-demand viewing. But the Games’ performance also proved that people will show up for traditional TV if there is compelling drama they have to see in real time.

    The gold-medal-winning performance of Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team was watched by 12.7 million people across NBC’s platforms on July 30, even though it ran smack in the middle of the workday. The figure was an all-time high for a daytime Olympics event and topped the average audience for this year’s NBA Finals, which aired in prime time on ABC.

    The number may have been helped by a behavioral shift left over from the COVID-19 lockdowns. More people are working at home — and what‘s the harm of having some gymnastics playing in the background?

    “It’s the content that’s precious, not the time of day,” Lazarus said. “If you exhibit in a way that’s interesting, people will show up.”

    John Rood, chief marketing officer for Magid, said consumers’ willingness to turn on the TV at all hours will continue to benefit the Olympics as time goes on. “One’s ability to watch on their laptop or phone is only going to get more common in every passing four-year span,” he said.

    NBCUniversal has the rights to the Games through 2032. The next Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. The next Winter Games are in Milan in 2026.

    Gymnastics has long been a strong draw for female viewers. But the Paris Olympics may also be benefiting from an overall increase in interest in women’s sports.

    The wild popularity of Caitlin Clark, now with the WNBA, helped drive a record audience of 17 million viewers for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game in March. (Clark’s exclusion from the women’s U.S. Olympic basketball team became a national topic of discussion.)

    A Magid study conducted that same month showed that 60% of consumers said they are paying more attention to women’s professional sports. The figure was 57% for women’s college sports.

    NBC was also able to integrate entertainment figures into its Olympics coverage without generating a lot of pearl-clutching from sports purists. It helped the network deliver audiences of 13 million or more in prime time, even though all of the competition shown was on video.

    Viewers embraced Snoop Dogg’s feel good vibe as he wandered through the events as the No. 1 U.S. Olympics team cheerleader. His role is long in the making.

    The legendary rapper was part of the network’s Tokyo coverage in 2021. He has also developed a relationship with NBC by co-hosting a competition series, “The Great American Song Contest,” and serving as a coach on the upcoming season of “The Voice.”

    Executive producer Molly Solomon and her team saw the potential to expand his role this year. “He obviously came to these Olympics with an enthusiastic optimistic point of view,” Lazarus said. “Molly Solomon calls him the ambassador of happiness.”

    2021 was a mess.  I wonder what the ratings were from the 16 olympics to now?  Is that a better barometer?
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,113
    brianlux said:
    brianlux said:
    brianlux said:
    brianlux said:
    @brianlux
    There was a good light show, cirque de soliel performanes, a bit of music and now podium speeches. 

    I'm glad you got to see it!
    I'll try to find highlights later  (and then continue my search for a place to live that is more civilized, LOL!)
    @brianlux 😀 

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/ws/av-embeds/articles/c74lx7kxpj4o/p0jhw3qk/en-gb/

    The page reads, "This content is not available in your location."
    But thank you so much anyway.  How kind of you! 
    :heart:
    Same here?  we have internet like DVD's now and are location sensitive? stuuuuupid.

    It is dumb, but then DVD are region specific as well because the machines in various areas are different.  And power outlets vary from in different parts of the world.  
    What Plugs Are Used in Different Countries

    That just never made sense to me.

    This i do understand.  Most of the world is 50 cycle and we are 60.  The rest of the world also likes to run off 220 where we do 110.

    Don't get me started on hydraulic fittings either...

    Or metric vs archaic and absurd U.S. measurements.  12 inches?  Who came up with base 12 math for measuring length?  5280 feet in a mile?  Ridiculous!  32 fluid ounces?  Preposterous!
    @brianlux If you haven't watched the SNL skit Washington's dream please do so.

    https://x.com/kingkongfalls/status/1822246250550333721?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1822246250550333721|twgr^17dd15972f480e64a97117b65b864c25984c1bbd|twcon^s1_&ref_url=https://turnto10.com/news/entertainment/video-of-australian-breakdancer-goes-viral-after-she-scored-zero-points-during-olympics-breaking-breakdancing-2024-olympic-games-paris-france-rachael-gunn-raygun-b-girl-kangaroo-dance

    OMG... :lol:
    "A pessimist is simply an optimist in full possession of the facts."
    -Edward Abbey















  • eeriepadaveeeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 42,089
    Highlights?

    Opening and closing ceremonies were well done. Cool that Phoenix closed it out, I like them. Was hoping for Daft Punk, but oh well..Cole winning the 1500 m race was pretty spectacular. I like volleyball so that was fun to watch. Track and field and swimming were good also. I was never a huge gymnastics fan so wasn't too much into that. USA women's rugby match to win in the last minute was awesome!

    Get rid of breakdancing! Although that one meme with the Australian breakdancer was kinda funny. Also I just heard they are getting rid of boxing? Why is flag football gonna be an event next time? Pearl-Jam-Smileys

    Flag Football is one of the fastest growing sports right now especially with our younger women.  Look into it.  You will be surprised.

    I want Cricket in the Olympics.

    so is pickleball. So i'm guessing that's the next new Olympic event?
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,411
    Highlights?

    Opening and closing ceremonies were well done. Cool that Phoenix closed it out, I like them. Was hoping for Daft Punk, but oh well..Cole winning the 1500 m race was pretty spectacular. I like volleyball so that was fun to watch. Track and field and swimming were good also. I was never a huge gymnastics fan so wasn't too much into that. USA women's rugby match to win in the last minute was awesome!

    Get rid of breakdancing! Although that one meme with the Australian breakdancer was kinda funny. Also I just heard they are getting rid of boxing? Why is flag football gonna be an event next time? Pearl-Jam-Smileys

    Flag Football is one of the fastest growing sports right now especially with our younger women.  Look into it.  You will be surprised.

    I want Cricket in the Olympics.

    so is pickleball. So i'm guessing that's the next new Olympic event?
    No pickleball.  Cricket test match, squash, Flag football, Softball is coming back and Lacrosse.
  • Johnny AbruzzoJohnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 11,612
    softball and baseball
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; WF Center 10/21/13; WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore 10/27/13;
    WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
    Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; WF Center 9/7/24; WF Center 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,411
    softball and baseball
    We rule softball don't we?

  • lastexitlondonlastexitlondon Posts: 13,965
    Nobody else has ever played it
    brixton 93
    astoria 06
    albany 06
    hartford 06
    reading 06
    barcelona 06
    paris 06
    wembley 07
    dusseldorf 07
    nijmegen 07

    this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,411
    Nobody else has ever played it
    I guess thats why they removed it?

  • The JugglerThe Juggler Posts: 48,928
    Welp...I guess all the people who boycotted and predicted ratings doom due to the dumb opening ceremony controversy are eating crow, as usual. 


    https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-08-09/olympics-ratings-win-the-games-are-big-for-nbc-and-peacock

    How the Paris Olympics spun ratings gold for NBC and Peacock

    USA womens basketball player Aja Wilson laughs with rapper Snoop Dogg a fixture of the Paris Olympics coverage on NBC
    USA women’s basketball player A’ja Wilson laughs with rapper Snoop Dogg, a fixture of the Paris Olympics coverage on NBC.
     
    (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
    By Stephen BattaglioStaff Writer 
    Aug. 9, 2024 12:59 PM PT

    The Paris Olympics have brought some joie de vivre to NBCUniversal.

    For the first 13 days of the Games, the Comcast Corp.-owned media company averaged 32.2 million viewers across its TV and streaming platforms, according to data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. The figure combines the live coverage shown during the day and the recorded highlights telecast and streamed in the evening.

    The Paris number is 76% higher than the audience for the Games in Tokyo, which were delayed a year and held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Olympics content streamed on NBC’s Peacock platform surpassed 19.1 billion minutes viewed, more than the 16.8 billion minutes watched on the service for all previous Olympics, winter and summer, combined.

    The contrast with Tokyo three years ago could hardly be more stark.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    At that time, the pandemic still loomed large and the biggest U.S. star, gymnast Simone Biles, departed early from much of the competition due to mental health issues. Those who competed did so in front of empty spectator stands, depriving viewers of the emotion and passion that family members and fans provide during the Games.

    In 2021, NBC had to give commercial time away to advertisers when the ratings came in lower than expected. The network typically holds back commercial time in the event that audience levels fall short of what brands are promised.

    But this year, the ratings performance exceeded NBC’s expectations, and the network is reaping the benefits.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    NBC was able to sell its reserve of commercials at an even higher price than the inventory purchased before the Games began. Among the major takers was the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, who abruptly became the presumptive Democratic nominee last month and needs to quickly introduce herself to the public.

    “It’s a nice piece of business for us,” NBCUniversal Media Group Chair Mark Lazarus said in a telephone interview.

    The additional sales helped push NBC’s ad revenue well past the previous record of $1.25 billion it took in during 2021. The final number for Paris will be the largest ad revenue take for any TV event in history, an NBC representative said. (Super Bowl Sundays typically generate about $1 billion for the network carrying the game.)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    NBC may have been fortunate that the Paris Olympics came along at a time when a deeply politically divided country could use a break.

    Two weeks before the Games began, former President Trump barely escaped an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. Not long after, President Biden made the stunning decision to pull out of his reelection campaign. Meanwhile, tensions are running high over Israel’s war with Hamas, creating fear over a larger military conflict in the Middle East.

    Team USAs Jade Carey from left Jordan Chiles Suni Lee and Simone Biles celebrate after winning gold
    Team USA’s Jade Carey, from left, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Simone Biles celebrate after winning gold during the women’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Games.
     
    (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

    Brent Magid, chief executive of the media research firm Magid, said a celebratory collective viewing experience may have been just what the public needed.

    “The Olympics are an in-the-moment activity that happens to be very positive in a world that is thinking very negatively,” Magid said. “Consumers are looking for escape in their lives, and this brings it in spades.”

    Having the City of Lights as a backdrop also helped. Athletes have been shown having fun on their off days, cheering on their competing comrades and hanging out with the network’s breakout Olympics coverage star, Snoop Dogg. Celebrities from Tom Brady to Lady Gaga have turned up in the crowd.

    Peacock, which trails other major streaming platforms with about 34 million subscribers, is a major beneficiary of the success. NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said new subscriber sign-ups have surpassed expectations, although the company has not revealed that number yet.

    Peacock streamed every sport live, including all 329 medal events. NBCUniversal enhanced the Peacock streaming experience by offering exclusive elements such as the addictive “Gold Zone” feature, which guided users to decisive moments in a variety of events as they happened, sometimes using multiple boxes on the screen.

    Making a multitude of events available on demand satisfied the streaming audience that wanted the choice and convenience of on-demand viewing. But the Games’ performance also proved that people will show up for traditional TV if there is compelling drama they have to see in real time.

    The gold-medal-winning performance of Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team was watched by 12.7 million people across NBC’s platforms on July 30, even though it ran smack in the middle of the workday. The figure was an all-time high for a daytime Olympics event and topped the average audience for this year’s NBA Finals, which aired in prime time on ABC.

    The number may have been helped by a behavioral shift left over from the COVID-19 lockdowns. More people are working at home — and what‘s the harm of having some gymnastics playing in the background?

    “It’s the content that’s precious, not the time of day,” Lazarus said. “If you exhibit in a way that’s interesting, people will show up.”

    John Rood, chief marketing officer for Magid, said consumers’ willingness to turn on the TV at all hours will continue to benefit the Olympics as time goes on. “One’s ability to watch on their laptop or phone is only going to get more common in every passing four-year span,” he said.

    NBCUniversal has the rights to the Games through 2032. The next Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. The next Winter Games are in Milan in 2026.

    Gymnastics has long been a strong draw for female viewers. But the Paris Olympics may also be benefiting from an overall increase in interest in women’s sports.

    The wild popularity of Caitlin Clark, now with the WNBA, helped drive a record audience of 17 million viewers for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game in March. (Clark’s exclusion from the women’s U.S. Olympic basketball team became a national topic of discussion.)

    A Magid study conducted that same month showed that 60% of consumers said they are paying more attention to women’s professional sports. The figure was 57% for women’s college sports.

    NBC was also able to integrate entertainment figures into its Olympics coverage without generating a lot of pearl-clutching from sports purists. It helped the network deliver audiences of 13 million or more in prime time, even though all of the competition shown was on video.

    Viewers embraced Snoop Dogg’s feel good vibe as he wandered through the events as the No. 1 U.S. Olympics team cheerleader. His role is long in the making.

    The legendary rapper was part of the network’s Tokyo coverage in 2021. He has also developed a relationship with NBC by co-hosting a competition series, “The Great American Song Contest,” and serving as a coach on the upcoming season of “The Voice.”

    Executive producer Molly Solomon and her team saw the potential to expand his role this year. “He obviously came to these Olympics with an enthusiastic optimistic point of view,” Lazarus said. “Molly Solomon calls him the ambassador of happiness.”

    2021 was a mess.  I wonder what the ratings were from the 16 olympics to now?  Is that a better barometer?
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2024/08/13/the-paris-olympics-averaged-306-million-viewers-across-nbcu-platforms/

    In a press release, NBCU reported the total audience delivery (TAD), for the Paris Olympics across live Paris primetime (2-5 p.m., ET) and U.S. primetime (8-11 p.m. ET/PT) averaged 30.6 million viewers, an 82% increase from the Tokyo Olympics average of 16.9 million viewers. With Paris six-hours “ahead” from eastern portion of the United States, NBCU to bolster viewing, opted to televise and stream popular events (i.e., swimming, gymnastics, track & field) live during the day with a primetime recap. NBC’s Mike Tirico hosted both segments daily, logging a total of about 100 hours of air time.

    The total audience delivery of the Paris Games also outpaced the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games which averaged 27.5 million viewers and the 2012 London Olympics with an average audience of 30.3 million viewers. NBC touts the Summer Olympics has been the highest rated primetime program for 152 consecutive nights, dating back to the Closing Ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. As with previous Olympics, NBC’s ratings for The Today Show and NBC Nightly News were given a two-week boost.

    www.myspace.com
  • WobbieWobbie Posts: 30,211
    the track bike the japanese used costs $139,000. :tired_face:
    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
    VIC 07
    EV LA1 08
    Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
    Columbus 10
    EV LA 11
    Vancouver 11
    Missoula 12
    Portland 13, Spokane 13
    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,411
    Welp...I guess all the people who boycotted and predicted ratings doom due to the dumb opening ceremony controversy are eating crow, as usual. 


    https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-08-09/olympics-ratings-win-the-games-are-big-for-nbc-and-peacock

    How the Paris Olympics spun ratings gold for NBC and Peacock

    USA womens basketball player Aja Wilson laughs with rapper Snoop Dogg a fixture of the Paris Olympics coverage on NBC
    USA women’s basketball player A’ja Wilson laughs with rapper Snoop Dogg, a fixture of the Paris Olympics coverage on NBC.
     
    (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
    By Stephen BattaglioStaff Writer 
    Aug. 9, 2024 12:59 PM PT

    The Paris Olympics have brought some joie de vivre to NBCUniversal.

    For the first 13 days of the Games, the Comcast Corp.-owned media company averaged 32.2 million viewers across its TV and streaming platforms, according to data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. The figure combines the live coverage shown during the day and the recorded highlights telecast and streamed in the evening.

    The Paris number is 76% higher than the audience for the Games in Tokyo, which were delayed a year and held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Olympics content streamed on NBC’s Peacock platform surpassed 19.1 billion minutes viewed, more than the 16.8 billion minutes watched on the service for all previous Olympics, winter and summer, combined.

    The contrast with Tokyo three years ago could hardly be more stark.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    At that time, the pandemic still loomed large and the biggest U.S. star, gymnast Simone Biles, departed early from much of the competition due to mental health issues. Those who competed did so in front of empty spectator stands, depriving viewers of the emotion and passion that family members and fans provide during the Games.

    In 2021, NBC had to give commercial time away to advertisers when the ratings came in lower than expected. The network typically holds back commercial time in the event that audience levels fall short of what brands are promised.

    But this year, the ratings performance exceeded NBC’s expectations, and the network is reaping the benefits.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    NBC was able to sell its reserve of commercials at an even higher price than the inventory purchased before the Games began. Among the major takers was the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, who abruptly became the presumptive Democratic nominee last month and needs to quickly introduce herself to the public.

    “It’s a nice piece of business for us,” NBCUniversal Media Group Chair Mark Lazarus said in a telephone interview.

    The additional sales helped push NBC’s ad revenue well past the previous record of $1.25 billion it took in during 2021. The final number for Paris will be the largest ad revenue take for any TV event in history, an NBC representative said. (Super Bowl Sundays typically generate about $1 billion for the network carrying the game.)

    ADVERTISEMENT

    NBC may have been fortunate that the Paris Olympics came along at a time when a deeply politically divided country could use a break.

    Two weeks before the Games began, former President Trump barely escaped an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. Not long after, President Biden made the stunning decision to pull out of his reelection campaign. Meanwhile, tensions are running high over Israel’s war with Hamas, creating fear over a larger military conflict in the Middle East.

    Team USAs Jade Carey from left Jordan Chiles Suni Lee and Simone Biles celebrate after winning gold
    Team USA’s Jade Carey, from left, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, and Simone Biles celebrate after winning gold during the women’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Games.
     
    (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

    Brent Magid, chief executive of the media research firm Magid, said a celebratory collective viewing experience may have been just what the public needed.

    “The Olympics are an in-the-moment activity that happens to be very positive in a world that is thinking very negatively,” Magid said. “Consumers are looking for escape in their lives, and this brings it in spades.”

    Having the City of Lights as a backdrop also helped. Athletes have been shown having fun on their off days, cheering on their competing comrades and hanging out with the network’s breakout Olympics coverage star, Snoop Dogg. Celebrities from Tom Brady to Lady Gaga have turned up in the crowd.

    Peacock, which trails other major streaming platforms with about 34 million subscribers, is a major beneficiary of the success. NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said new subscriber sign-ups have surpassed expectations, although the company has not revealed that number yet.

    Peacock streamed every sport live, including all 329 medal events. NBCUniversal enhanced the Peacock streaming experience by offering exclusive elements such as the addictive “Gold Zone” feature, which guided users to decisive moments in a variety of events as they happened, sometimes using multiple boxes on the screen.

    Making a multitude of events available on demand satisfied the streaming audience that wanted the choice and convenience of on-demand viewing. But the Games’ performance also proved that people will show up for traditional TV if there is compelling drama they have to see in real time.

    The gold-medal-winning performance of Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team was watched by 12.7 million people across NBC’s platforms on July 30, even though it ran smack in the middle of the workday. The figure was an all-time high for a daytime Olympics event and topped the average audience for this year’s NBA Finals, which aired in prime time on ABC.

    The number may have been helped by a behavioral shift left over from the COVID-19 lockdowns. More people are working at home — and what‘s the harm of having some gymnastics playing in the background?

    “It’s the content that’s precious, not the time of day,” Lazarus said. “If you exhibit in a way that’s interesting, people will show up.”

    John Rood, chief marketing officer for Magid, said consumers’ willingness to turn on the TV at all hours will continue to benefit the Olympics as time goes on. “One’s ability to watch on their laptop or phone is only going to get more common in every passing four-year span,” he said.

    NBCUniversal has the rights to the Games through 2032. The next Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. The next Winter Games are in Milan in 2026.

    Gymnastics has long been a strong draw for female viewers. But the Paris Olympics may also be benefiting from an overall increase in interest in women’s sports.

    The wild popularity of Caitlin Clark, now with the WNBA, helped drive a record audience of 17 million viewers for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game in March. (Clark’s exclusion from the women’s U.S. Olympic basketball team became a national topic of discussion.)

    A Magid study conducted that same month showed that 60% of consumers said they are paying more attention to women’s professional sports. The figure was 57% for women’s college sports.

    NBC was also able to integrate entertainment figures into its Olympics coverage without generating a lot of pearl-clutching from sports purists. It helped the network deliver audiences of 13 million or more in prime time, even though all of the competition shown was on video.

    Viewers embraced Snoop Dogg’s feel good vibe as he wandered through the events as the No. 1 U.S. Olympics team cheerleader. His role is long in the making.

    The legendary rapper was part of the network’s Tokyo coverage in 2021. He has also developed a relationship with NBC by co-hosting a competition series, “The Great American Song Contest,” and serving as a coach on the upcoming season of “The Voice.”

    Executive producer Molly Solomon and her team saw the potential to expand his role this year. “He obviously came to these Olympics with an enthusiastic optimistic point of view,” Lazarus said. “Molly Solomon calls him the ambassador of happiness.”

    2021 was a mess.  I wonder what the ratings were from the 16 olympics to now?  Is that a better barometer?
    https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2024/08/13/the-paris-olympics-averaged-306-million-viewers-across-nbcu-platforms/

    In a press release, NBCU reported the total audience delivery (TAD), for the Paris Olympics across live Paris primetime (2-5 p.m., ET) and U.S. primetime (8-11 p.m. ET/PT) averaged 30.6 million viewers, an 82% increase from the Tokyo Olympics average of 16.9 million viewers. With Paris six-hours “ahead” from eastern portion of the United States, NBCU to bolster viewing, opted to televise and stream popular events (i.e., swimming, gymnastics, track & field) live during the day with a primetime recap. NBC’s Mike Tirico hosted both segments daily, logging a total of about 100 hours of air time.

    The total audience delivery of the Paris Games also outpaced the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games which averaged 27.5 million viewers and the 2012 London Olympics with an average audience of 30.3 million viewers. NBC touts the Summer Olympics has been the highest rated primetime program for 152 consecutive nights, dating back to the Closing Ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. As with previous Olympics, NBC’s ratings for The Today Show and NBC Nightly News were given a two-week boost.

    Wow.  We they did really well.

    I think the Tokyo was so far ahead in time that people just got the highlights rather than watch?  I know I wouldn't watch the news so it wouldn't spoil the results for me.
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,411
    Wobbie said:
    the track bike the japanese used costs $139,000. :tired_face:
    Pedal assist is expensive, huh?

    Why a bike would cost that much is amazing.  They probably threw it away afterwards too...
  • tbergstbergs Posts: 9,831
    Wobbie said:
    the track bike the japanese used costs $139,000. :tired_face:
    Pedal assist is expensive, huh?

    Why a bike would cost that much is amazing.  They probably threw it away afterwards too...
    I'm in the biking world because it's what my son wants to do professionally. I had read this article that explained the insane prices for the bikes being used. Some of it is strategic to avoid other team being able to afford it, but either way, biking is expensive in general.

    https://www.bicycling.com/news/a61792205/is-olympic-level-cycling-tech-within-reach/
    It's a hopeless situation...
  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,858
    softball and baseball
    We rule softball don't we?

    I think Japan has had some good teams and beat USA in International Comps.

    Canada has been good some years too.

    I just looked it up and Japan beat USA 6-1 in this years' World Championships to win the WC Gold. USA did beat them 2-0 in Pool play.
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,411
    tbergs said:
    Wobbie said:
    the track bike the japanese used costs $139,000. :tired_face:
    Pedal assist is expensive, huh?

    Why a bike would cost that much is amazing.  They probably threw it away afterwards too...
    I'm in the biking world because it's what my son wants to do professionally. I had read this article that explained the insane prices for the bikes being used. Some of it is strategic to avoid other team being able to afford it, but either way, biking is expensive in general.

    https://www.bicycling.com/news/a61792205/is-olympic-level-cycling-tech-within-reach/
    I get the NASCAR aspect of it.  That's what they used to do. Make it a production car and you can race it. I ride an

    Emonda ALR 5.  More than enough bike for me.  I can not see spending another 100k in this world to make me better, lol.   

    I watched a special where they had an avid person like me ride against a pro and gave each different gear.  The pro was given shit equipment and still almost made up an exuberant amount of lead time.

    Basically it is about gaining seconds.  I get that.  These people are making brand new bikes EVERY year so they put big price tags on them.  I just wonder what type of breakthroughs you make spending millions of dollars a year in research and what was actually gained?
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