IOC says it's NBC's call on tape-delayed coverage
LONDON (AP) - If NBC wants to show Usain Bolt's 100-meter victory on tape delay, the IOC says that's up to the network.
Bolt's blinding dash in the signature event of the London Olympics on Sunday came at 4:50 p.m EDT. NBC broadcast the race on television hours later in prime time, frustrating fans accustomed to watching action as it happens and sharing instant reaction through social media.
On Monday, International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams deflected criticism aimed at NBC, which is the biggest financial backer of the Olympic body.
"It's certainly not for us to tell them how to reach their audience," Adams said, adding that NBC live-streamed the race for online viewers. "If you wanted live, you could get it live."
With Bolt chased home by teammate Yohan Blake and former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, the 100 fulfilled its billing as the main sprint showdown between Jamaica and the United States.
Other track and field finals shown later by NBC included the women's 400 in which Sanya Richards-Ross won the first American gold medal in the Olympic Stadium.
Richards-Ross said at a news conference Sunday night that the broadcast coverage at home was "a little disappointing."
"I know probably everyone at home probably knows the results already, but hopefully they'll still tune in to watch it," she said. "But I do think that they're doing their best to try to get the most viewers to be able to watch it."
NBC has exclusive U.S. rights for the London Games. It struck a $2.2 billion deal with the IOC in 2003, which included rights to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
"Obviously, NBC are a good partner of ours," Adams said. "Clearly they know their audience best. They have got absolutely record figures for these games. They tried to get the moment where it would reach the biggest possible audience, which they did."
NBC has experience built on broadcasting every Summer Olympics since 1988. It also has shown every Winter Games since 2002 in Salt Lake City. The network will extend that run through 2020 after signing a package last year for four games.
NBC will pay $4.38 billion to the IOC for those exclusive rights. The deal includes all broadcast platforms, including Internet, cell phones and handheld devices.
"This secures the financial future for the next decade of the Olympic movement," IOC President Jacques Rogge said after signing the contract in June 2011.
London Olympics organizing chief Sebastian Coe, a former track great, also defended NBC as a "very, very good partner."
"It inevitably has to be for the broadcaster to decide what and how and where they schedule," said Coe, who had not expected the glamour 100-meter event to be shown live. "I'm not sure that the 100 meters final has been shown live in the U.S. for many years. I don't think that's unique to London."
Bolt's blinding dash in the signature event of the London Olympics on Sunday came at 4:50 p.m EDT. NBC broadcast the race on television hours later in prime time, frustrating fans accustomed to watching action as it happens and sharing instant reaction through social media.
On Monday, International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams deflected criticism aimed at NBC, which is the biggest financial backer of the Olympic body.
"It's certainly not for us to tell them how to reach their audience," Adams said, adding that NBC live-streamed the race for online viewers. "If you wanted live, you could get it live."
With Bolt chased home by teammate Yohan Blake and former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, the 100 fulfilled its billing as the main sprint showdown between Jamaica and the United States.
Other track and field finals shown later by NBC included the women's 400 in which Sanya Richards-Ross won the first American gold medal in the Olympic Stadium.
Richards-Ross said at a news conference Sunday night that the broadcast coverage at home was "a little disappointing."
"I know probably everyone at home probably knows the results already, but hopefully they'll still tune in to watch it," she said. "But I do think that they're doing their best to try to get the most viewers to be able to watch it."
NBC has exclusive U.S. rights for the London Games. It struck a $2.2 billion deal with the IOC in 2003, which included rights to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
"Obviously, NBC are a good partner of ours," Adams said. "Clearly they know their audience best. They have got absolutely record figures for these games. They tried to get the moment where it would reach the biggest possible audience, which they did."
NBC has experience built on broadcasting every Summer Olympics since 1988. It also has shown every Winter Games since 2002 in Salt Lake City. The network will extend that run through 2020 after signing a package last year for four games.
NBC will pay $4.38 billion to the IOC for those exclusive rights. The deal includes all broadcast platforms, including Internet, cell phones and handheld devices.
"This secures the financial future for the next decade of the Olympic movement," IOC President Jacques Rogge said after signing the contract in June 2011.
London Olympics organizing chief Sebastian Coe, a former track great, also defended NBC as a "very, very good partner."
"It inevitably has to be for the broadcaster to decide what and how and where they schedule," said Coe, who had not expected the glamour 100-meter event to be shown live. "I'm not sure that the 100 meters final has been shown live in the U.S. for many years. I don't think that's unique to London."
NBC still operates as if this was 1984. That information model no longer works. There are too many resources available to people that get the news of the events out across the globe, INCLUDING to NBC's intended audience. Yes this is a FAIL of significant proportions. Yes there are people willing to watch even though they already know the results. But just as readily there are folks that would be willing to watch the events AS THEY HAPPEN. The technology has long been there. NBC has long had it in their possession. Because of corporate dimbulbs who aren't savvy enough to imagine up and market to a changed world now used to having their info moments after the thing has happened, this is what we are saddled with. Nielsen may claim that TV ratings are way up, but frankly NO ONE I know is sitting around watching NBC's truncated rendition of the Games. All this shows is how much of a dinosaur both NBC and its Comcast mother hen really is.
One reason I don't watch.
Manipulation for the masses.
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Give them/cable providers yer account info and e-mail addy and ya can watch all ya want. If not, then ya getta wait and see if they'll ever make the event available. It took 3-4 days before I could find a link to the womens 8 crew final.
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Pathetic. No wonder I don't watch NBC or most other cable channels.
NBC has lost me as a viewer. That is for all their programs.
So the race was ran near midnight London time.  Nobody would be watching very early in the morning so tape delay is inevitable so stop whinning about the earth being round.
 @Reality Control Did you even read the article?  The race was 4:50pm Eastern time which is 9:40pm in London.  You're comment doesn't make any sense.
Follow the results live on the computer......then catch the highlights by using a DVR for all. Once you eliminate all the crap you don't want to watch (commercials, marathons, ping-pong, everything that comes out of Bob Costas mouth) then you have about 1 hour a night of great recaps!Â
NBC = Nothing But Crap. Worst Olympic coverage ever and everything is not hardly LIVE. It's pitiful and ratings based, and I couldn't loathe NBC more. They stink worse than 3 day old fish.
It is obvious NBC could care less about the people who really enjoy watching these games. They are just concerned about advertiser dollars which equate to more money (this is nothing new, and I shouldn't be surprised).Â
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To state they offer "live streaming" is a real joke. The stream is often incredibly laggy, and the content on their website is poorly organized, IMHO.
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With the technology that is available, and the demand for "on-demand" content, NBC should have thought this out more than they apparently did.Â
I've really enjoyed the Olympic coverage. I am busy working during the day M-F, and busy enjoying the summer with my family on the weekend, so it is nice to see the events I would have missed had they been live.
 @Fugonn So you enjoy the 45 minutes of talking heads and 15 minutes of actual sporting events?
 @keeper Well, the 100m is over in 10 seconds, so you're going to have to have interviews surrounding the actual event. I also like watching the Kentucky Derby - Yes, 2 minutes of actual sporting event, and 2 hours of coverage. It is my personal taste, and it works for me. I never said it works for everyone, but NBC's ratings have been pretty solid, so I'm going to guess that there are more people like me.