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Look, I’m loving the Vancouver Olympics and learning more about Shaun White than any human should need to know. (How does that guy pass the drug tests?) It’s relaxing and exciting and the Americans are not doing nearly as lousy as they usually do on ice and in the snow. As of yet, other than the tragic death of the Georgian luge sledder, there are no more controversies which call into question the whole integrity of the Olympics, world peace, and figure skating fashions for men. (Sorry, but having loser Evgeni Plushenko diss winner Evan Lysacek isn’t news unless they plan to cage fight.) So half of all Americans, 152 million, watched the first 7 days of the Vancouver Olympics, according to Neilsen. That’s now 26.6 million average audiences, nearly 6 million more and 27% higher than in 2006. NBCU’s Thursday broadcasts were seen by 77 million total viewers even with original programming from Survivor on CBS and Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice on ABC.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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and the other half chose to not watch the west coast tape delay because NBC is rotten. No other sporting event that takes place within our North American timezones has ever been nor needs to be tape delayed! What’s the point? Oh money money money. F U! NBC deserves a huge FAIL hoisted up above 30 Rock. Once again the left-coast it left out of all the fun.
No more controversies? How about:
1. 4th pillar of the Olympic torch doesn’t lift during the opening ceremony
2. There’s no snow! (Conditionas are craaazy.)
3. 500m speed skating final delayed by 1 hour due to broken ice machine (supplied by Olympia, NOT industry standard Zamboni) causing Shani Davis to withdraw
4. SIX finalists (Paerson, Gisin, Kristova, Miklos, Merighetti and Rolland) and the course tester fall during the women’s downhill due to conditions and the “hot air” jump at the end forcing downhill officials to change the course
5. Top-ranked cross-country skier Petra Majdic flew off the course and into a RAVINE
I know that your post is mostly about ratings but I believe that the ratings premium is due to all of these controversies. Maybe?
(Raaaaaaaandy!)
Congratulations to NBC,
They’re having a great week ratings wise. Too bad it will only cost them about $250 million dollars in loses.
Are they still planning to lose $200 million?
I would easily pay $100 PPV to watch an Evgeni Plushenko/Evan Lysacek cagematch. Maybe more if they were wearing their skating costumes.
I would totally pay $100 to watch Lysacek smack the bejesus out of that Russian loser. He lost, and he’s a sore loser. I wouldn’t kick either of them out of bed, though
High ratings for the Olympics are a good thing, except they’re probably so high because people need cheap entertainment in this economy and hope for something inspirational. And the crack about Shaun White is a bit uncalled for. He is a WORLD CLASS ATHLETE at the top of his sport who works extemely hard and has a great attitude. Long hair and a big smile doesn’t make him a drug user. He deserves praise not snide remarks.
Meanwhile ABC/ESPN is waiting in the corner for Comcastic! end to NBC broadcasts of the Olympics.
And we throw NBC a bone and hope the web will recover and get some writers, actors and and….employed.
No way Shaun White could do what he does if he was using drugs. None. I do understand the crack though, because he does seem like a stoner.
One thing I think might be helping the ratings is short track skater Apolo Ohno’s and snowboarder Louie Vito’s appearance on Dancing With Stars. My wife and I watched all of the coverage Wednesday night and she was real interested in seeing Ohno and Vito compete because she grew to like them on Dancing with the Stars and had never actually seen them do what they do best. If the Olympics were on ABC, that angle would certainly be played up more. I always check out the Olympics, but my wife has never been interested before this year, and those Dancing with the Stars guys are a big reason.
Also, I think the tape delay doesn’t hurt when you know in advance, for example, that Lindsay Vonn won. We knew on Wednesday but were still excited to see how she did it.
First and foremost, let me say Nikki I like the rules to posting a comment on this fantastic homepage and it’s topics.
Without commenting on the athlete you mention in this topic, NBC’s lack of strong viewership has a lot to do with it’s programing since 2008. Everyone knows Olympics and love the games. NBC has a deal to carry the games through certain amount of years until that deal is renewed.
If NBC Uni wishes to get back on strong viewership track past Olympic games 2010, they need to bring new fresh programs that are meaningful and on the money which are also appealing . NBC Uni is also dealing with coop restructuring and merger with Comcast which is might possibly be affecting on how NBC Uni toppers make their decisions on what projects should air on their Channel. With that said, I rest my case.
I hope I was on the topic at all times.
Thanks Nikki,
Romeo Bashir
You know, you can post all the first week glitches you want but here’s the reality; the Olympics are as much for the tourists as it is for the athletes and the parties have been spectacular, the center of town is more vibrant than any winter Olympics before it and the sun is shining. The city is gorgeous right now which makes the event perfect from the perspectives of the out of towners.
i was held hostage by NBC thursday evening while waiting to see the men’s free skate….we were given Olympic minibites in between five commercials….i finally gave up and went to bed at 10:30…..i caught up the next day on youtube…….
Just to be clear, the Americans don’t normally do so lousy during the Winter Games: they’re behind only Norway and Germany for most winter olympic medals ever.
To answer your question, Nikki, I don’t think Shaun TAKES a drug test. He’s such a huge draw that they need him to compete.
And if you think Shaun is a one-dimensional athlete… you should see the kid skate a ramp. He’s sick!