NBC says, "Even LESS Olympics"
 

From the IMDb newswire:

NBC Cutting Olympics Coverage in 2004

NBC and its cable networks, MSNBC and CNBC, are planning to reduce their coverage of the 2004 Olympics in Athens by 12 hours versus their 2000 coverage, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday, citing a preliminary schedule given to advertisers. The reduction comes after the 2000 Summer Games from Sydney attracted the smallest audience in 32 years. The decline was attributed to the fact that nearly all events were carried on a tape-delayed basis due to the difference in time zones. NBC reportedly is figuring that the Athens contests will also be delayed, given the 7-hour difference in time between Athens and New York. "What it comes down to is NBC trying to maximize its profitability, '' former NBC Sports executive Mike Trager told Bloomberg. "They may figure they can sell ads on programming other than the Olympics for more money."

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This is downright obscene. They should have it taken away from them. The olympics is evry 4 years, but NBC is robbing me of watching it. I don't get to see anything. They only show the mainstream events, and ignore events like weight lifting, rowing, kyaking, pentathalon. NBC can just die for all I care.

show it live, thats all i want

I think thats all anyone ever wanted out of it. showing it delayed really effected it since you knew who won before or without even seeing it.

It will never happen, not with that time difference.

The Summer Olympics suck anyway. The Winter Olympics are so much better.

The next olympics is in Greece which is a 7 hour delay. It's closer then Australia which was a 10 hour delay.

So what. NBC f**ks up the winter olympics too. I remember one sunday last winter when instead of showing olympics they showed golf!!!

It happens once every 4 years, there are enough events to fill 24/7 coverage, you're network has exclusive rights, its sunday, people are sitting on their couch all day, AND YOU SHOW GOLF!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sell the golf to another network!!! Why are you showing golf. Meanwhile the olympics is happening and no network is covering it.

Nice thing about being a (northern) border state. CBC covers it well (a lot less commercials too)

Sad thing is, they'll cut out all the marginal stuff (which I happen to enjoy) and give us more of "what we want."

Perhaps at some point they'll just stop showing on tv and simply release the Olympics straight to DVD when it's done...:rolleyes:

The could cancel the Olympics entirely and I wouldn't care less.

No way, man. How else can I get my quadrennial fix of grown men throwing round stones at the air? :D

I think all the networks should bid on the Olympics so that all the events get on the air, preferably live. each network would get different events

I think if they can show Every world cup game live from korea/japan, they sure as hell can show all the olympics live, it's not like they don't have the channels.

cnbc
msnbc
and regular nbc, and it's in the summer when there is nothing on tv but re-runs..

Instead of bidding on the entire olympics, they should bid on individual sports so that the bigger ones can take the basketball and hockey, etc. and the little ones can have shotput, kayaking, etc.

You are forgetting that MLS paid ABC/ESPN to show those games because there is no US network interest in the World Cup. Usually it is the other way around.

NBC is spending billions to show the games - they are trying to maximize their profits and they believe that tape-delay coverage in Prime Time is the best way to do that. Does it suck? Of course.

There probably will be some live coverage of minor sports (archery, kayak, synchronized swimming, etc) on the cable outlets but don't expect to see any live track, swimming, or gymnastics.