Nielsen//Net Ratings has launched its Olympics Index, a
global monitor of Internet traffic to Web sites covering the
2000 Games. Data from the feature reveals that
NBCOlympics.com saw home traffic increase 41% from July to
August, increasing to 236,000 unique visitors. Of those
visitors, nearly 63% were female (Nielsen//Net Ratings).
SPOILER ALERT! In DC, Paul Farhi writes that AOL is
"planning two approaches" to accommodate users who do or do
not want to know Olympic results before they are broadcast
on TV. Farhi: "Those who can't wait can zip into the 'real
time' section of the site, which will have up-to-the-minute
information. Those who don't want to know will be escorted
into a 'siloed environment.'" AOL's Jeff Corbett: "What we
kept hearing with the '98 Winter Olympics was, 'I signed on
to AOL ... and it ruined my TV viewing.' So this time, we
might tease things, with a question like, 'Did Michael
Johnson win the gold? Click here'" (WASHINGTON POST,
9/13)....In Baltimore, Milton Kent writes on the Web
potential around the Sydney Games and notes the "table
couldn't be better set for the Internet sites." ESPN.com VP
& Exec Editor John Marvel: "This is a wonderful Internet
event, and with the time difference and NBC's coverage
plans, we think we can take advantage of it." But Kent
adds, "Because of the transient nature of the Web and the
time of the year, when the baseball pennant races climax and
football season begins, it will be difficult to
differentiate between people visiting the sites for Olympic
results or for pennant scores or for fantasy football
updates" (Baltimore SUN, 9/13)....In S.F., Tommy Cummings
writes that "most" Internet sports sites have "worked around
IOC restrictions and, in a way, their strategies have paid
off. They've become more resourceful, coming up with
dynamic pre-event presentations (see Quokka),
personalization (see AOL Sports) and deals with athletes for
insights into their events (CBS SportsLine.com, among
others)" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 9/13)....The WALL STREET JOURNAL
INTERACTIVE's David Sweet interviews Quokka Sports COO
Alvaro Saralegui. Saralegui, on the performance of Quokka's
stock, which is close to its 52-week low: "Quokka's stock
price has been affected more by industry issues than
valuations based on performance. We have beat analysts'
estimates every quarter since we became a public company.
In addition, folks seemed to be waiting for the Olympics and
our financing before they commit" (WSJ.com, 9/13).
MITCH ON CBS: Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom
will be an Olympics contributor to CBS' "The Early Show."
His first report airs Monday (L.A. TIMES, 9/13).
U.S. COUNTER BALANCE: CABLE WORLD's Mike Reynolds
writes, "Although the Olympics tend to skew more toward
women viewers than most events, it still comes as no
surprise that female-oriented networks are offering some
alternatives to the competition from Sydney." Lifetime will
air a "movie mini-thon," while Romance Classics is
presenting "Wonders Down Under: An Olympian Event" this
Saturday and Sunday featuring Australian actors Mel Gibson
and Russell Crowe (CABLE WORLD, 9/12).
