OLYMPICS: NBC unveils coverage plans, China will allow more live TV news

NBC Universal will present 3,600 hours of coverage for the Beijing Games, including 2,200 hours of live events, the most live coverage in the U.S. of any Olympics ever. Seven networks -- NBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, Telemundo and Universal HD -- will broadcast the event on TV, and when combined with NBCOlympics.com, the coverage will total 1,000 more hours than that of all previously televised Summer Games in U.S. history. In addition, NBCOlympics.com's 2,200 total hours of live streaming video coverage is the first live online Olympic coverage in the U.S. (NBC).

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Paul Gough reports the Games will be the first time that an entire Summer Olympics will be available in HD. NBC's primetime coverage will include "all 32 gold-medal finals for swimming across eight days, four nights of gymnastics, beach volleyball and the men's and women's marathons" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 7/9).

USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand notes NBC's cable channels will broadcast events "suiting their demographics, such as boxing and weightlifting on male-skewing CNBC and gymnastics recaps and equestrian on female-leaning Oxygen" (USA TODAY, 7/9).

China's government will "allow broadcasters to beam live pictures from Tiananmen Square" and throughout the city during the Beijing Games, "reversing a decision to delay broadcasts." BOCOG Dir of Media Operations Sun Weijia: "It's a simple answer: you can do live broadcast from the streets of Beijing and also at Tiananmen Square." State broadcaster CCTV reportedly also will "show live pictures instead of delaying them by 30 seconds, its usual practice" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/8).

Compiled by Sports Business Daily