Online, NBC screwing up the Olympics

With the 2010 Winter Olympics in full swing, NBC's backwards thinking on new media is on display.

NBC has the rights to stream all and any Olympics coverage online, in addition to its exclusive television broadcast rights. Unfortunately, the U.S. network is dropping the ball (no pun intended) on a few fronts.

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The first issue, as highlighted by Business Insider, is the tape delay of content both online and over-the-air. In order to drum up primetime viewership, NBC won't show big events, such as the Men's Downhill, live. Instead, the network is holding back its broadcasts until the evening, potentially allowing spoilers to slip through and locking viewers into a time that may not be convenient for them. I'm not saying NBC needs to broadcast all events on television as they happen -- some people may appreciate the primetime coverage -- but online streaming should be an option for those who are ready to watch.

nbcolympicwall

However, if you're not a cable, satellite television or IPTV subscriber, you're out of luck no matter what time of the day it is. Try to watch full event coverage on NBC's Olympics Web site, and you'll run into an authentication wall. Not only is that inconvenient for people who are at work and may not have their subscriber information handy, it completely shuts out viewers who don't have cable, but who would still have access to NBC over-the-air broadcasts. I understand NBC broadcasts some coverage on its cable stations, such as MSNBC, but it should have the power to open up its online event coverage to all. As it stands, you're limited to highlight reels and mini-features if you're not a paying TV subscriber.

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There's also more content NBC could be offering even to cable subscribers, but instead the network is focusing on highlights. Perkins Miller, NBC Sports' vice president of digital media, tells PaidContent that's what people want. But what if people want so much more -- enabled by the on demand nature of online video -- and NBC's just not offering it?

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