NBC may lose 200 Million / Vancouver Games

[Swarly]

this doesnt make sense, if showing the Olympics on TV is such a money loser they wouldn't do it, but i will bet anyone a beer that they bid on the rights for the next Olympics too.

[flames_1987]

As long as this money doesn't come out of Chucks budget I'm fine with it

[dj_patm]

Definitely looks like they're playing it up to turn of competitors from bidding for the next one. 200 Million is a lot to lose and just tell everyone about when not looking for anything...

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

can't forget about speed walking either, my god what an exciting event that is to watch

Seriously. Out of all the events, wtf is up with that being in there?

[Hemi-Cuda]

i'm just trying to imagine how you could try to explain to someone that you're an Olympic speed walker and not get laughed out of the room. or for that matter who the hell grows up dreaming of one day becoming an Olympic speed walker? would you practice your exaggerated hip thrusts in your room as a kid for practice?

[Nuje]

Yyyyeah. Didn't baseball get removed? Because I'd rather watch baseball while shaving...going 80 in a jeep on a dirt track, than watch speedwalking.

Let it be also known, that I despise baseball, and even question its qualifications to be a sport (I do think it's a sport, but I just joke around to piss big baseball fans off sometimes). Baseball has WAY more business being there than speedwalking.

[Coach]

Do a Friends or Seinfeld reunion episode. Or both. BOOM I just made you money. I should be running a TV studio

[RockOnRoberts]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Considering how many Canadian goals they missed during the last Olympics (I can recall 2) because their commercials ran long, I hope NBC not only loses 200 million, but also goes out of business, burns to the ground, and then sharts itself during Christmas dinner in front of everybody.

NOO!! Then I can't watch 30 Rock, The Office, Community, and Saturday Night Live anymore! Shame on you.

[Daradon]

There are way fewer 'winter nations' than summer ones, so that's probably why those games are less popular.

I know I'm biased, but I find the winter games far more exciting though. Even if you take out hockey.

I mean watching a skier fly down the hill at dangerous speeds is far more exciting than watching 8 laps in a pool.

Winter games seem to be far more 'extreme' than the summer ones and that makes me happy.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Daradon

There are way fewer 'winter nations' than summer ones, so that's probably why those games are less popular.

I know I'm biased, but I find the winter games far more exciting though. Even if you take out hockey.

I mean watching a skier fly down the hill at dangerous speeds is far more exciting than watching 8 laps in a pool.

Winter games seem to be far more 'extreme' than the summer ones and that makes me happy.

i just like the creativity of the winter sports. i mean anyone can figure out how to make swimming or running a competition, but for someone to think "I wonder what would happen if i flung myself down an icy tube headfirst on a piece of plywood with skates taped to the bottom", that's something special

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Not sure what your standards are, but when 3 billion people watch the Winter Olympics (which is how many watched the Turin games), I would say it's a pretty big deal.

Once again, people being interested in the Olympics and NBC losing money are not necessarily tied together.

3 Billion seems like a wrong number. Do 1/2 the people in the world even have a TV to watch nevermind the fact that they would all have to be tuned into the winter games?

Whatever the figure is though NBC will make a fortune here. The games will be in prime time for the first time since Salt Lake and that is the slot where they care about ratings.

[7uongo]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Considering about half the U.S population tends to watch the winter Olympics, I'd say that's "many people". Just because NBC is losing money (and with their programming in the last few years, not sure why that's a surprise) on something that is expensive to produce and get rights for, it doesn't mean there is no interest for it. It's clearly not the Summer games, but it's no slouch.

I'd like to know where you're getting this statistic

[macker]

Originally Posted by Slava

3 Billion seems like a wrong number. Do 1/2 the people in the world even have a TV to watch nevermind the fact that they would all have to be tuned into the winter games?

Whatever the figure is though NBC will make a fortune here. The games will be in prime time for the first time since Salt Lake and that is the slot where they care about ratings.

I think what Immelt was getting at is that ad revenue is just not there and the margins show that. It is not just NBC either as all of the majors have seen ad revenue plummet by up to 1/3 in the last year. This is a game changer and I don't see the trend reversing. Companies are finding more effective ways to advertise and corporate spending is signaling this. Even if 3 Million people watch the games NBC will still lose money if they don't have the corporate backing that they need. I am curious to see the Super Bowl ad revenues this year. Pepsi after 23 years and last years biggest advertiser for the Super Bowl has decided to sit out Super Bowl XLIV. I think the Super Bowl is the one event where companies choose to blow money but I wonder if that will change for others also. Immelt is being realistic.

[BlackAce]

[Flame19,289]

Well, the Vancouver games are bound to be a better ratings winner than Nagano or Turin, I would think. Having the opportunity to watch events live, as opposed to highly-edited tape delay where the outcome is already known to anyone with an internet connection, should add to the appeal.

And if the games are such a big money loser, why does NBC show them on so many different networks (NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, Universal Sports, etc.)? Watching world-class athletes in a once-every-four-year event versus non-stop, recycled reruns of Law & Order... I know what I would choose.

[drewboy12]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Considering how many Canadian goals they missed during the last Olympics (I can recall 2) because their commercials ran long, I hope NBC not only loses 200 million, but also goes out of business, burns to the ground, and then sharts itself during Christmas dinner in front of everybody.

NBC is a horrible hockey broadcaster and I hate being forced to watch their garbage telecast for all the big games.

Although I suppose these days I can just stream the CBC off the internets, so maybe it doesn't matter.

what about 30 rock and Conan... Think of the kids man, Think of the kids.

[7uongo]

Originally Posted by Slava

3 Billion seems like a wrong number. Do 1/2 the people in the world even have a TV to watch nevermind the fact that they would all have to be tuned into the winter games?

Whatever the figure is though NBC will make a fortune here. The games will be in prime time for the first time since Salt Lake and that is the slot where they care about ratings.

indeed, 3 billion does sound like a made up number. I hardly doubt that even half a billion in the world is watching the winter games