Comments on: I want my Olympics 2.0-style

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:17:54 +0000

danah,

I think you are probably completely correct about what would be an improved Olympic experience. I just have a really hard time getting excited about sports.

My idea of really abysmal programming is when TNT lets the NBA finals preempt Law and Order reruns.

-Steve

By: Christopher Herot

Christopher Herot — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:01:05 +0000

NBC may have been more concerned with the $1B in TV revenue than the estimated $5.75 million they brought in from the web site. Still they could probably have had both had they been less stingy with the online version. It’s too bad, since the Olympics with its 18 ring circus is the ideal environment for user-driven access.

By: Amelia

Amelia — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:40:52 +0000

Can you watch the live content from the BBC website. Their coverage has been brilliant. It may be just for folks with UK IP addresses though I wonder

By: John Smith

John Smith — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:52:05 +0000

I can’t stand the idea of the Olympics nowadays. Its a huge marketing fiasco. Why the !@#! do you support ANY media outlet being able to “buy the coverage”. What a crock of !@#!#!@#!.

i’m also disgusted with people getting excited that their country is doing better than another. Why do these guys represent countries? They are athletes not soldiers.

Shouldn’t it be covered by more than one bloody media outlet?

By: Jo

Jo — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:40:13 +0000

Got off the blogpost challenging London SocialMediaMafia to influence the #So.Me policies for 2012?

Raz them a bit too?
http://socialmediamafia.com

By: dumbledad

dumbledad — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:21:45 +0000

I agree with all those who’ve shouted out the BBC coverage. 2012 should be fantastic, though I wonder what they’ll do about streaming video to non-UK IP addresses.
BTW, danah, like the athletes, gymnasts, and BBC comentators you call it “girls’ gymnastics” not “womens gymnastics”. Why is that? (I ask because it is one thing about the BBC commentary that’s pissing my wife off.)

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:58:53 +0000

NBC’s coverage of the Olympics, while more video than ever before is still the worst coverage. NBC is airing on 6 different channels (if you get cable; NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Oxygen, Telemundo) but none of it appears to be live to the West Coast anyway. Everything is time delayed a minimum three hours if not to the next day. Then, as you say, all the attention is focused on one or two athletes who are usually American and we do not get to see any other competitors.

We’ve been watching CBC Canada here in Seattle for our Olympics coverage. They’re broadcasting Live (really live!) and they profile more than just American and Canadian athletes. AND there’s less commercials than American television.

NBC you failed us again, with six networks there’s no reason to not broadcast live. With the web, there’s no reason to not broadcast live. Just sad.

By: kudzu

kudzu — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:58:59 +0000

Danah:

Go to nbcolympics.com. On the left-side list labeled “ALL SPORTS”, click on Gymnastics. Scroll down until you see “Gymnastics Video”. Click the link labelled “See more gymnastics video”. From that page, you can search the videos (scroll down to the search) or browse (“See more videos” at the bottom of the page).

I agree that the site nav is wonky, but if you can find what you’re looking for, you’re in. Good luck.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:14:03 +0000

Oh, I forgot to say, I’m a Mac person and resistant to the Microsoft download required to view the other sports online at NBC. Supposedly free, but playing into yet another one of Microsoft’s dominance schemes.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:09:48 +0000

I’d rather watch on television, and I don’t see why, with all the channels available on cable, NBC can’t find a way to present some sports other than swimming and gymnastics. What I’ve seen on NBC has been 90% those two, until now tonight they’re showing some track and field. And most of the NBC commentators and panels are worse than listening to paint dry.

Wikipedia says that “The Summer Olympics includes 28 sports with 38 disciplines”. Out there somewhere are archery, judo, equestrian stuff (saw some of that, which I enjoy, on some other channel and never found it again), boxing, wrestling, modern pentathlon, fencing, tennis, and a bunch more. Why should we need to search out foreign-language feeds online while television channels are giving us reruns of I Love Lucy and bad movies? Couldn’t NBC franchise out some of these sports?